Phil Ochs Song Night Performer -Short Bios

This outstanding line up of consummate musicians & storytellers will pay homage to the music of Phil Ochs, plus share their original music with us on Sunday, October 24, 2010. Hosted by Sonny Ochs Get concert details at:  http://ricksmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/phil-ochs-song-night-oct-24-2010.html


John Flynn http://www.johnflynn.net/
John Flynn sings powerful songs of humanity and hope deeply rooted in the traditions of Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs. John paints vivid, lasting images with words and music, drawn from a palette of awareness, compassion, irony, and humor.
A socially driven singer/songwriter not afraid of writing about the shadows, John allows us the space to come to our own conclusions. His songs speak to our common shared humanity. Thank-you notes left on his websites come from both soldiers and anti-war advocates.

Greg Greenway http://www.greggreenway.com/
Beneath the radar of the corporate music world there are gems to be found. Greg Greenway is a multi-faceted one. A rare combination of instrumental expertise, a soulful and moving singer, powerful poet, and sparkling entertainer, Greenway is one of those difficult-to-categorize performers who have found a home in the modern acoustic genre.

Musically, he draws inspiration from all over the map--gospel, rock, blues, Jazz, and world music. But his center is in the singer/songwriter tradition that traces it roots all the way back to the social awareness of Woody Guthrie. His central appeal is that it all comes through the singular lens of Greenway's humanity and his easy affinity for the audience.
Magpie  http://www.magpiemusic.com/
Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner began to play music together in Kent, Ohio in September of 1973.

Greg began to play music in the early sixties as a direct result of the Civil Rights Movement. His father worked for the National Urban League, and members of the family became involved in local action in the Movement. Terry also began singing at that time, and spent many of her childhood summers with her mother's family in the deep south where she witnessed the cruelty of racism and the power of the Movement.

She also was a witness to the shootings at Kent State on May 4th, 1970 when National Guard troops fired into a group of students protesting the war in Vietnam. Terry and Greg continue to reflect these experiences in their own work as they frequently raise their voices in support of the ongoing struggles for civil rights, freedom, justice, and peace.

The powerful blending of their impressive voices are a treat for the ear. Add to that their instrumental talents, Terry on harmonica, mandolin, fretted dulcimer and rhythm guitar, and Greg is an outstanding fingerstyle guitarist. His playing is the solid basis of Magpie's sound, providing whatever is called for, whether it be a hard-driving rhythm, or a ringing lyrical beauty.

Kim & Reggie Harris  http://www.kimandreggie.com/
Consummate musicians and storytellers, Kim and Reggie Harris combine a strong folk and gospel legacy with a solid background in classical, rock, jazz and pop music. They write, record and produce music as a means to promote creativity, education, social responsibility and understanding in the world community.

As a result of their CDs "Steal Away" and Get On Board" (Appleseed Recordings) and materials developed in their work with the Kennedy Center, Kim and Reggie have earned wide acclaimed for their contributions to the resources and knowledge base - in historical and educational circles - on the Underground Railroad and the modern civil rights movement.

Creative curiosity, years of road and stage experience and interactions with performers such as Pete Seeger, Ysaye Barnwell, Jay Leno, Tom Paxton, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Harry Belafonte and others, has led them to produce music that entertains and inspires.

David Roth  http://www.davidrothmusic.com/
David Roth strikes many chords, hearts and minds with his unique songs, offbeat observations, moving stories, sense of the hilarious and powerful singing and subject matter. Not many songwriters can say their music took a trip on the Space Shuttle. But David can.

His song, "Rocket Science" went up on the Space Shuttle Atlantis's May 2009 mission to repair the Hubble Telescope. While others have found their way to Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the Kennedy Center, Peter, Paul, & Mary concerts, NASA’s Goddard Space Center.

Pat Wictor  http://www.patwictor.com/
Steeped in American "roots" music, Pat Wictor is a contemporary songwriter and interpreter drawing on the rural country, gospel, and blues traditions of our nation.

"Pat Wictor is a phenomenal lap-slide guitarist and songwriter as well as an interpreter of others' music. His lyrics are intelligent and compelling, his stage presence commanding." -Mike Space, Artistic Director, Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA

An American by birth, Pat was raised outside of the United States until his teenage years, living in Venezuela, Holland, Norway, and England. This time abroad gave him an unusually deep awareness of being a resident of a country while also a world citizen.

Pat views his life and his music as a journey, populated with an ever-shifting landscape of people, places and emotions. It is a journey he is eager to share with others, knowing that it is the experiences along the way, not the arrival, that initiate the most profound changes.