home bio press

The Chad Mitchell Trio, one of the most popular folk groups of the sixties, completed over a dozen classic albums. Their blend of humor, political satire, and stunning harmony took the folk world by storm.

Blowin' in the Wind, the first studio album after two phenomenal live albums, Mighty Day on Campus, and At the Bitter End proved that the Trio was as exciting in the studio as they were live. These three albums, originally released on KAPP records in the 60's, have now been reissued on CD by Folk Era.

As the folk boom of the 60's drew to a close, the members of the Chad Mitchell Trio went their various ways. Mike Kobluk and Joe Frazier left the music industry, while Chad Mitchell himself released a number of solo albums before retiring from music, and Mitchell Trio alumi John Denver went on to his own superstar career.

Fortunately for their many fans, Mike, Joe, Chad, and John Denver all reunited in 1987 for several concerts, which were recorded and are now available on Folk Era. The Reunion album features the only recording of all four members singing together, while The Chad Mitchell Trio Reunion Part II includes their hit "Marvelous Toy" as well as John Denver's solo piece, "Let Us Begin." Folk Era is also happy to make available Chad's 1991 solo album Virgo Moon, as well as, a two-fer release of Chad’s mid-sixties albums, Himself and Love, A Feeling Of.

Whether listening to the timeless folk ballads of the Chad Mitchell Trio from their heyday, their 1987 Reunion, or the contemporary songs from Chad's solo albums, the political satire and acoustic harmony is guaranteed to bring laughter and enjoyment to fans and newcomers alike.

Chad Mitchell - Real Estate Broker and Solo Music Career Born in Oregon, Chad spent most of his childhood in Spokane, Washington. In 1959, he and Mike Kobluk formed the first incarnation of The Chad Mitchell Trio. A tremendous hit between 1959 and 1965, the Trio performed at almost every college and well-known venue in the country. Major television shows, Carnegie Hall, the White House, and even a State Department tour were among the esteemed Trio stops. The Chad Mitchell Trio created a lasting musical legacy under the tutelage of musical director and arranger, Milt Okun.

After nine albums and hundreds of appearances, Chad left the Trio in 1965 to embark on a solo career. The then unknown John Denver took his place, and the group was renamed The Mitchell Trio. Chad has since been part of the West Coast wine industry as well as spending several years as Director of Entertainment for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company in New Orleans. Chad is currently at home in Spokane, Washington, living only a few blocks away from friend and fellow Trio member, Mike Kobluk.


Joe Frazier - Yale graudate and World Peace board member The oldest of eight children, Joe grew up in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and remembers there was "a lot of singing around our home." For several years he prepared for an operatic career due to his love of classical music, but eventually found his home in The Chad Mitchell Trio.

Majoring in sociology and political science in college, the Trio became a natural form of expression for Joe's deeply held convictions. "We believe we're an entertainment group," he explains," but find the high points of our programs are those songs with social meaning." Joe goes one to say that, "We sing them because we want to say something - not to educate, not to change people's minds or make them agree - but to stimulate them, to invite them to think."

Joe left the Trio in 1967 to pursue a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University, followed by his ordination as an Episcopal priest in 1972. For the last sixteen years Joe has served several California communities, continues to sing in both church and folk circles, and serves as a board member for the World Peace Council.


Mike Kobluk - Director of Spokane Opera House and Stadium Born in British Columbia, Mike developed his fondness for singing in high school. However it wasn't until he met Chad Mitchell at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, that the spark turned to flames. Though he had never seriously considered a musical career due to his love for math and writing, he was soon singing at venues across Spokane. With the encouragement of Father Reinard Beaver, who became their unofficial manager, the Trio turned professional.

Mike was the last remaining original member when the Trio disbanded in 1968. Since 1974, Mike has lived and worked in Spokane as Director of the city's Opera House, Stadium, Coliseum, and Convention Center. Going over the Trio's repertoire after 20 years, Mike commented that "You begin to hear things that you didn't hear when you were living the material...a lot of things that are really special."


John Denver - Solo Artist and Social Activist Born in Roswell, New Mexico, John's early life was spent traveling across country due to his father's military life. As John grew and began considering a musical career, the opportunity arose for Denver to join his idols, The Chad Mitchell Trio. He became a member of the group in 1965 replacing the Trio's former lead singer, Chad Mitchell. He remained with the group until the chance of a solo career beckoned in 1969.

Later that same year Peter, Paul, and Mary performed Denver's, "Leaving on a Jet Plane," helping launch his solo career. Denver quickly established himself as a star in his own right and recorded several albums with RCA. John was able to join the Trio for the reunion concerts in 1987, singing singing with the three founding members for the first time, as well as singing his own song, "Let Us Begin."

Paul Prestopino - Guitar, Banjo, and Mandolin

David (Jake) Ander - Guitar

Pete Soloway - Acoustic Bass

There are two ways to purchase any of the CDs on this site. 1) Just write down the names or stock numbers of the items you are interested in. When you have chosen your items, go to Rediscover Music and type them into the "Search" field. OR 2) Click on the "Order Now" link next to the item you want to buy. This link will take you directly to that item at our Rediscover Music site. Once there, click "buy" to put the item into your shopping cart. If you would like to order more items, use your browser's "Back" button to come back here and continue browsing, or use the links to the left of the screen to see more items. You will be able to browse through all our available titles and view the song listings, too!

© 2008 Folk Era Records; All Rights Reserved For more information contact: folkera@folkera.com