Evening honors Phil Ochs, the 'singing journalist'

HONESDALE — An evening commemorating the life and music of 1960s American protest singer Phil Ochs will be held at the Cooperage in Honesdale on Sunday.

Phil’s sister, Sonny Ochs, will host the show, sponsored by RiverFolk Concerts.

Born in El Paso, Texas, in 1940, Ochs arrived on the Greenwich Village folk music scene in 1962. He emerged as a passionate vocalist who wrote songs about war, civil rights, and labor struggles, some humorous and some very serious. Ochs described himself as a “singing journalist.”

New talents making music in Phil’s spirit will perform on Sunday:

Kim and Reggie Harris are known for their rich harmonies, percussive guitar, and warm, upbeat presence. In 20 years of working together, they have written and sung in styles ranging from traditional to adult-contemporary. Their first CD is titled “In the Heat of the Summer."

Pat Wictor has become a name on the acoustic, blues, folk, and Americana circuits. Steeped in American roots music, Pat is a contemporary songwriter and interpreter drawing on the rural country, gospel, and blues traditions of our nation.

Greg Greenway's music blends the passion of Richie Havens, the lyrical guitar of James Taylor, and the rhythmic and political influences of Peter Gabriel, the Police and third world artists. His debut recording, “A Road Worth Walking Down,” was nominated for two Boston Music Awards.

Sharon Katz was nominated for the Grammy’s Best World Music Album with her South African band, The Peace Train, which helped Nelson Mandela usher in the ending of apartheid. Making history in 1992 with her 500-voice multiracial choir, Katz then took 150 musicians across South Africa to spread their musical message of peace and reconciliation in advance of Mandela’s selection as the country’s first democratically elected President.

Colleen Kattau is a bi-lingual songster and dynamic performer who joins rhythms of Latin America with her own roots rock and folky jazz-laced compositions. Her innovative songs cover a wide range from soulful to rise up change the world anthems. She has toured with Holly Near, and sang many times with Pete Seeger at the gates of Fort Benning to close the SOA.