HARVEY UPDATE 8/21/2023

Hello all, I’m really happy to report that Harvey is doing much better! His last MRI shows continued improvement, and NO cancer. And Harvey says he does not have any more of the brain “weirdness” as well. He is happy that his next “face” doctor appointment is in September. Harvey says he is seeing better. The infection he’s had in his left eye over the last several months is gone, and he doesn’t feel that anything is wrong. While he must use eye drops every hour, he says he can focus better, which no doubt makes him feel better. Harvey reports his pinky finger has completely healed. He reports he’s playing really well, at 90% and feels “stage-ready.” He says this is the best part, that he can play like he use to – says it’s been more than 2 years, but he’s back. After Harvey tells me he is feeling better and more of his playing confidence was back, I suggested that he should then write a new song. Harvey said he has ideas for another album, but we agreed to just start with one song. As we talked about it, I could tell he was getting excited about the idea. He started telling me about the players he might work with, I suggested that he should have Timm Martin play bass and head up his rhythm section. That’s how Timm and Harvey met – when Timm was touring in Harvey’s band in the 70s and early 80s. I thought that’d be awesome, a coming back together. I also suggested it’d be great if the new song had a vocal and lyrics and not be an instrumental. Harvey agreed quite readily – a “comeback” song. The start of a new album. It’s fitting that as Harvey is now playing again, Guitar Magazine comes out with a major article in their June 28th issue — “Nobody Can Be the Best Guitar Player. There’s No Such Thing”: Mind-Blowing Guitarist Harvey Mandel Riffs With ‘GP’ on His Music, Guitar Technique and a Certain Player by the Name of Eddie Van Halen.” Read all about it here: https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/harvey-mandel-whos-calling So, Harvey is better, his medical stuff has settled a bit, and he’s ready to work on new music. I’ll be back with more on Harvey’s new music plans – we’ll have news this Friday.