John Reischman And The Jaybirds Open Cedar City Music Arts Season
Cedar City Music Arts is beginning its 97th season this week, and the organization is once again asking audiences in Southern Utah to take a chance on music they may not recognize.
The season opens Wednesday night at 7:30 at the Heritage Theater with John Reischman and the Jaybirds, a group that has been performing together for roughly three decades and has recorded more than a dozen albums. The band features acoustic instruments including mandolin, guitar and stand-up bass, but its music doesn't fit neatly into a single category.
Marty Warburton, a board member of Cedar City Music Arts, says that's part of the appeal. During a radio interview on the Big Picture Morning show, he described the group as difficult to pigeonhole, adding, “It is kind of everything. Very tastefully done.”
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Warburton said the concert will offer Cedar City audiences an opportunity to hear musicians who may not be familiar from commercial radio or streaming services. He also pointed out that the Jaybirds aren't hobbyists—they make their living performing, with the group scheduled to travel from Cedar City to Flagstaff and eventually Australia following the local concert.
That willingness to introduce audiences to lesser-known performers has become a hallmark of Cedar City Music Arts. Warburton said residents have developed confidence that the organization will consistently deliver something worthwhile.
“What we found, Tim, is that over the years, residents of Cedar City, residents of Iron County have come to trust Cedar City Music Arts,” he said. “There’s a trust there and I can guarantee that if you do show up Wednesday night you will be pleasantly surprised.”
This year's season includes eight events featuring nine artists. Season tickets remain $120, which works out to about $12 per event, and season-ticket holders receive two additional bonus tickets. The organization says all performances are held at the Heritage Theater in downtown Cedar City.
The season also includes an educational component. On Thursday morning, about 300 school children will be brought to the Heritage Theater to hear the Jaybirds perform. Later in the season, visiting artists will conduct outreach programs, master classes and performances for students.
For Warburton, that combination of live performance, education and community is part of what has kept Cedar City Music Arts going for nearly a century.
“It’s like old school America in there,” he said of the Heritage Theater lobby during intermission. “And maybe that’s why Cedar City Music Arts has been around for 97 years.”
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Wednesday night's concert begins at 7:30, with doors opening at 6:30. Tickets and season information are available through cedarcitymusicarts.org.
Hear the entire visit with Marty Warburton in the podcast below.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
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