Kingston Trio – Wherever We May Go

With clean-cut looks, acoustic guitars and rich harmonies, a group of three fresh-faced musicians became the Beatles of their day. Their catchy and simple sound caught the ears of the nation and reawakened America to its rich folk heritage. The Kingston Trio – Where Ever We May Go, airing Saturday, August 1 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV (DT21.1/cable1011/cable11), invites viewers to reacquaint themselves with one of America’s most beloved folk groups whose music impacted the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The music-rich program tells the band’s fascinating story through interviews, vintage footage, and full music clips of their hits including “Tom Dooley,” “Greenback Dollar,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” and “M.T.A.”

While The Kingston Trio has been through several musician changes throughout its long history, this program focuses on the group’s beginnings in the ’50s and ’60s and its original members Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, Dave Guard, and Guard’s subsequent replacement John Stewart. The original trio hit the happening San Francisco nightclub scene in the late ’50s playing hotspots such as the Hungry i and the Purple Onion. The Kingston Trio’s energetic stage presence combined with their calypso, Ivy-League crossover appeal landed them a record contract with Capitol Records

The Trio is a refreshing retrospective on one of America’s most-important vocal groups told by several of the Trio members themselves – Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, John Stewart – and other knowledgeable interviewees, including 30-year Trio member George Grove, biographer William J. Bush, original Beach Boy Al Jardine, and comedian Ronnie Schell who opened for the Trio for many years.  Fans will enjoy outtakes from the group’s ’60s sitcom pilot, vintage clips including their most-requested song “Scotch & Soda,” and early appearances at the Hungry i.