Community honors Salem musician with free concert in his honor

SALEM A group of musicians in Salem aimed to honor a longtime member of the music community, playing a free concert in the musician's memory.

Jack Yarnell dedicated his life to music and was a supporter of live shows, according to John Reese, a member of John Reese & The Yarnell 5 Band.

21 News attended the concert on Wednesday, which was located at the Salem Community Center, 1098 North Ellsworth Avenue in Salem.

Reese told 21 News about Yarnell, who died a few weeks ago at the age of 98.

"He was a huge promoter of music in general, but especially jazz. We all owe him a ton of gratitude because he brought a lot of great musicians together and he was the catalyst for a lot of great music," said Reese.

According to Reese, Yarnell helped to begin the Salem Waterworth Memorial Park concert series, as well as other musical shows in the Mahoning Valley.

When asked, Reese indicated that the concerts performed by John Reese & The Yarnell 5 Band are appreciated by the community.

"This is a place where people can come and hear music they don't hear everywhere else. We're trying to play a lot of the music that Jack loved. Tonight we're playing some older music... I think the people here tonight are really appreciating this music," said Reese.

Reese went on to say that he hopes the community will continue to support the free concerts that the band puts on.

The next will be on December 10, 2025, at the Salem Community Center, with enough chairs for everyone.

"The more people support it, the longer we can count on live music happening here and supporting live music in general," said Reese.

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