An all-star cast of jazz musicians are slated to perform during the Crocker Art Museum’s popular Third Thursday Jazz Summer Concert Series. From May through September, concerts are held outside on the third Thursday of the month from 5:30-8 p.m. Light refreshments and beverages are available for purchase. Concerts are free to Crocker members and $10 for nonmembers.

The Perry Mills Project will open the series this Thursday, May 21. Guitarist and singer Perry Mills will lead his band in a passionate fusion of rock and jazz. Their new CD Hello? is aimed at engaging, rhythmic, and approachable musical art, infused with R&B and jam-band vibes, while keeping the integrity of progressive-rock and jazz-fusion influences. Passionate and dramatic, the music breaks new ground and serves to connect people’s hearts to the movement of energy and beauty.

Guitarist and singer Perry Mills is a veteran of the Los Angeles touring scene who first appeared on the Northern California music landscape with Objects in the Mirror. His music stemmed from the influences of soul, R&B and favorites like Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani and Steely Dan. The band features a marvelous lineup of artists in their own right, including composer and saxophonist Grant Reeves, bassist Mike Kelly, vocalist Tanya Scarlett, and fellow Objects alumni Mark McCartney on drums and Bob Villwock on keyboards.

“We want to touch hearts with this music, to unlock some emotional response for people that they maybe haven't yet found,” said Mills. “At a live show, to connect in that way with the art and the audience is uplifting for everyone. That's what the art is really all about. We want the audience to leave the show feeling better, inspired and energized.”

The Third Thursday Jazz Summer Concert Series is supported in part by 94.7 KSSJ, Renwood Winery, Rubicon Brewing Co. and Pepsi. For more information, call (916) 808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org/jazz.

The Crocker Art Museum was founded in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of California, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in Downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday; Thursday until 9 p.m. Free admission on Sundays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. is made possible through the support of Bank of America. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.