Highway 19 Concert Series

john reischman & the jaybirds

thursday, december 4, 2025 | 7:00pm

Rivercity Stage (1080 Hemlock St)

  • Now in their 20th year, with seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, John Reischman and the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned and 21st-century contemporary.

    Bluegrass Unlimited calls Reischman “one of the world’s undisputed masters” of the mandolin, famed for outstanding tone and taste, and an impeccable sense of rhythm. He has written numerous instrumentals that have become jam session and cover standards, has released three critically-acclaimed solo instrumental albums and has recorded on many other projects, including the Grammy-winning True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe. John also plays Latin-based jazz and choro music with highly regarded finger-style acoustic guitarist/composer John Miller; the duo has released three superb albums.

    Reischman began his career in the San Francisco Bay area in the early ’80s with the eclectic Good Ol’ Persons bluegrass band. He was an original member of the legendary “new acoustic” quartet, the jazz-influenced Tony Rice Unit, renowned for highly skilled instrumentals. He moved to Vancouver in the early ’90s and in 1999 formed the Jaybirds.

    The band includes LA-based flat picking guitarist Patrick Sauber, Spokane, WA fiddle virtuoso Greg Spatz, and BC-based Trisha Gagnon on bass and Nick Hornbuckle on banjo; all highly acclaimed and in-demand veterans who have played with a who’s-who of bluegrass and old-time music.


    The Highway 19 Concert Series is supported by the Province of BC through BC Arts Council and BC Live, and the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage. 


    General admission tickets are available for $20 to be accessible to anyone, or $30 help sustain this concert series. Teen tickets are only $5 and tickets for kids are free when accompanied by a paying adult.

harry bartlett mountain air

thursday, november 20, 2025 | 7:00pm

Rivercity Stage (1080 Hemlock St)

  • Harry Bartlett’s Mountain Air is a string trio like no other. Bartlett is an award-winning guitarist and composer whose music blends jazz, classical, and bluegrass. Originally from BC, schooled in Toronto, he moved to Nashville to immerse himself into traditional folk music following his debut album Wildwood, which was praised as “thoughtful, impressionistic, and cinematic” (LA Jazz Scene). Since then, he has toured and recorded alongside artists like Bela Fleck, Trey Wellington, and Chris Eldridge.

    His latest album Mountain Air features Canadians violinist Aline Homzy and bassist Andrew Downing. The record showcases his personal guitar style and a deepening connection to acoustic music. While the album retains a foundational approach to jazz improvisation, it also offers clear shades of bluegrass, old-time, and folk influences. His original compositions are presented with a “delicacy combining classical, string band, and jazz elements.” (The Whole Note). Joining Bartlett on stage in Campbell River will Seattle-born and Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist Evan Snoey on violin and Vancouver jazz bassist James Meger.

    The Highway 19 Concert Series is supported by the Province of BC through BC Arts Council and BC Live, and the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage.

    General admission tickets are available for $20 to be affordable to anyone who wishes to attend, or $30 help sustain this concert series. Teen tickets are only $5 and tickets for kids are free when accompanied by a paying adult.