Hard-blowing Jazz Masters Featured on Main Street

The Pleasanton Jazz Society (PJS) will feature two guest musicians at the next Inklings concert on Friday, June 22nd. Noel Catura, a leading Blues and Soul Jazz exponent, will return on Tenor sax. Noel guested last December and gave a gloves-off performance that guaranteed another booking. He will be backed by Matt Finders (bass) and James Hall (keyboard) but Bryant Mills will stand in for Kelly Fasman on drums.

Bryant, who began his career in jazz in Baltimore Md. has played out of San Jose for some years. Besides his career in jazz, he has also played with top performers in other genres, including Charlie Musselwhite, Maria Maldour and the late John Lee Hooker. At the turn of the century, Bryant played with actor and guitarist
Steven Seagal for three years.

Bryant has been busy touring Southern California but he had no hesitation taking time out to be part of the unique PJS program to bring hard-blowing, straight-ahead modern jazz and traditional Blues to Inklings Event Room.

"I have been watching and listening to the PJS Friday night concerts on YouTube and they have certainly brought a passionate brand of Jazz to Pleasanton’s Main Street,” said Bryant. "I have played with Noel many times but I look forward to playing with Matt and James who are a dynamic duo and create the kind of groove that brings out the best in horn players".

Noel Catura will continue the sequence of outstanding sax and trumpet soloists that the PJS has brought to Pleasanton and which will continue with the great tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz on July 20th, swinging Guido Fazio on August 10th and Bebop alto-sax master Andrew Speight on August 24th. On September 21st, exciting young Benny Torres will guest on tenor and flute, and on October 5th New York’s Michael Marcus will return on tenor, soprano and stritch.

Concerts start at 7 pm and thanks to sponsorship, admission is always free. The PJS brings Big City Jazz to Pleasanton.