READING, Pa. - Grammy-winning upright bass player Luques Curtis is riffing on his hundred-year-old instrument in front of one of the Berks Jazz Fest stages at the Doubletree in Reading.
"It's quite a surprise we won the Grammy," said Luques Curtis.
A surprise to him and his brother, Zaccai, and even more of an honor to share the Best Latin Jazz album category with their idols.
"Latin Jazz, but it's based off of Cuban music. Afro-Cuban music, specifically. Old standards," Curtis explained.
"It's very danceable. Cha-cha-chas, mambas," said Curtis. "It was given to us by our elders: Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez, Eddie Palmieri."
They learned from them, and now they have the chance to pay it forward through the "Get Jazzed" program, bringing in young musicians to jam with and inspire them.
"It's great to be able to share the knowledge to other students," said musician Albert Rivera. "The best way to start is to just get introduced to it."
The Reading Music Foundation Jazz Jam includes musicians who are Jazz Fest regulars and have established connections in the local community.
"For me as a kid, anytime it was just to play with musicians or just to see it live was huge in my progression as a musician," Rivera said.
These connections continue to foster creativity with the kids and the musicians themselves.
"Since then, we've done albums together, shows, countless unlimited amounts. All because we met at organizations that encouraged kids to play music," added Rivera.
