Monday 31 May 2010

Review - William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

This look at radical lawyer William Kunstler provides a perfect companion piece to Chicago 10, covering different aspects of the infamous Chicago conspiracy trial, including rare audio from the trial itself. The subject matter also involves some of his great and (what his daughters term) lesser moments -- highlights include archival footage from the Attica prison riots, Wounded Knee incident of 1973, and speeches from Kunstler and other radical figures of the era, including Bobby Seale and Fred Hampton. A compelling overview of Kunstler's career -- highly recommended. Not mentioned in the film is Kunstler's questioning of Phil Ochs during the Chicago trial (Ochs appeared as a witness for the defense), which Kunstler later referred to in 1976 as one of the greatest honors in his legal career.

Sunday 9 May 2010

Phil Ochs: On My Way

Following an auction tape that was sold last year comes another new Ochs release entitled On My Way. It features a completely unreleased demo session of Phil running through his material in 1963 at the Florida resident of Roy Connors, member of the folk group The Highwaymen. The listing as described on the auction tape can be found here. The release date is set for June 22, 2010.