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Grammy winners to play at Berks Jazz Fest


Mavis Staples and Bela Fleck, who will be playing at Boscov's Berks Jazz Fest, were winners at the 2016 Grammy Awards Monday night.

Staples won in the Best American Roots Performance category for the song "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" from her album "Your Good Fortune."

Bela Fleck won Best Folk Album for "Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn" along with his wife Abigail Washburn.

Fleck and Washburn also were nominated in the Best American Roots Performance category for their song "And Am I Born To Die."

Boscov's Berks Jazz Fest will take place April 1 through April 10. Fleck is scheduled to perform with Chick Corea on Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in a pairing of piano and banjo playing. Staples will play at the Jazz Fest on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Two other artists performing at the Boscov's Jazz Fest were also nominated for Grammy Awards.

Joey Alexander, a 12-year-old piano player, was nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Giant Steps" from his album "My Favorite Things," which itself was nominated in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category. He will be performing in the festival on Sunday, April 3 at 7:30 at Miller Center for the Arts.

Kirk Whalum was nominated in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for "Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter IV." Whalum will be performing twice at the festival. First, he will performing with the group BWB along with Rick Braun and Norman Brown on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading.

He also will be performing in the festival finale in The Gospel According to Jazz Celebration featuring himself, Donnie McClurkin, Jonathan Butler, Kevin Whalum, John Stoddart and the DOXA Gospel Ensemble on Sunday, April 10, 7 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

For more information, visit www.berksjazzfest.com and BerksArts.org.