Highlights:

• Recorded on over 1,700 individual album cuts, movie scores and jingles

• Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award – Nominee (2022) for the US’s SPAH international harmonica organization

• Roly’s original instrumental “Shuffle the Deck” was aired on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the WWE Network (2019)

• Gold record: The Toronto Blue Jays theme song – “OK Blue Jays”

• Two Double Platinum & Juno Award album credits

• Multiple Maple Blues Awards  – “Harmonica Player of the Year” nominations. (national blues awards)

BIO

Roly Platt has enjoyed a long and rewarding career as both a live and studio harmonica player in the Canadian scene for the past 45 years. He has had the pleasure of touring and recording with many greats in the business, including: Ronnie Hawkins, Matt Minglewood, David Clayton-Thomas, Dutch Mason, Susan Aglukark, Suzie Vinnick and Rick Fines.

Getting his start practicing to his older brother’s Blues and Bluegrass records, Roly’s early years on the road quickly introduced him to a wide variety of music including Country-Swing, Country Rock, R&B & Traditional Jazz. This experience of having to incorporate harmonica into some of these non-traditional roles helped form his melodic approach to playing and define his unique style. As Roly puts it, “None of the songs these bands would play had any harp in the original versions, so I had to quickly figure out something that “worked” and sounded pretty good, or I’d be out of work. That was the best musical schooling anyone could have asked for.”

Roly’s distinctive sound, versatility, and intuitive sense of “what works”, has elevated him to “first-call” studio harmonica player in the Canadian recording scene. Roly had been recorded on over 1,700 individual album cuts, movie scores and national jingles and is now working on sessions for clients from around the globe via his home studio.

Albums / Sessions (partial list):

David Clayton-Thomas (3), Terri Clark, Susan Aglukark, Marc Jordan, John Finley, Suzie Vinnick (2), The Ennis Sisters, George Canyon, Beverley Mahood, Joel Feenie, Jack Semple, Ronnie Hawkins, Matt Minglewood (3), World on Edge, The Stampeders, Rick Fines, George Meanwell, Bill Colgate, Jason McCoy, Rita MacNeil, Jamie Warren, Cassandra Vasik, Sharon, Lois, and Bram, Michael Brennan.

Jingles (partial list):

Ford, Chrysler, Labatt, McDonalds, Budweiser, Oreo Cookies, Shake and Bake, Toronto Blue Jays (OK Blue Jays theme), LCBO, The Keg, Pioneer, Toyota, Tim Hortons

Film / TV (partial list):

US production: “Tankhouse” staring Christopher Lloyd (2020), Ron James (CBC), Kurt Browning (Stars on Ice), Franklin The Turtle, Berenstain Bears, Rolie Polie Olie, Buffalo Girls (mini series) and Bollywood hit – “Delhi Belly”, Kurt Browning Stars on Ice (TV), CTV Sportsnet “Good old Hockey Game” (Opening theme), Canadian Country Music Awards, Megasnake (Film), The Dark (Film).

 

Roly Plays Seydel Harmonicas