R-JENERATION: Young musicians use imagination, creativity to make songs their own as trio Microgroove

Dim lights and the aroma of coffee fill the space. Calmness dangles in the air, but the sounds from a snare drum and a high hat break the steady hum of the coffee shop. A driving measure from an upright bass carries the jazz standard, while a soothing piano takes a solo, like a scene straight out of a beatnik jazz club.

Las Vegas Academy seniors Raymond Reyes and Daniel Rossi began performing jazz in local venues during their junior year of high school with keys player Jason Corpuz, a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in a trio by the name of Microgroove.

"I got started playing gigs simply by networking with other musicians around town," Reyes says. "The first gig I ever got myself, I got basically by walking in and asking if the place needed some live music, or if they were into the idea of it, and they said yes."

Every Sunday evening, the trio performs at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in The District at Green Valley Ranch Resort. Rossi began playing drums for jazz numbers after being exposed to the genre by his older brother. Reyes was introduced by a music teacher.

"It didn't just all make sense to me at once, nor does it still make complete sense to me, let alone does it to anyone," Reyes says. "As I developed a greater understanding and ability to listen for not only jazz, but music in general, I was drawn to the music, and I wanted to be able to do what the musicians that play it do: generate melodic ideas on spot."

According to Rossi, the group often plays jazz standards inspired by "The Real Book." The musicians work together to improvise over structures of songs based out of the book.

"We make all of these songs our own, almost like our original compositions because we use our imagination and creativity to take these songs where they have previously never been taken," Rossi says. "We communicate with each other and create something new every time we play. We are also working on some of our own compositions and should have some recordings and charts done soon."

"Musical inspiration to me is something that comes from passion," Reyes says. "I play because I love music more than anything in the world, but also because I feel that as a musician, as an artist, I have a responsibility to preserve the truth that music is and will always be to the world."

Reyes, apart from Microgroove, also plays on Fridays at the Go Wild Sushi restaurant with a group of other young musicians. Rossi performs about twice a week: Sundays with Microgroove and Tuesday evenings at Yayo Tacos restaurant with University of Nevada, Las Vegas jazz majors.

Rossi says he finds inspiration in all aspects of his life.

"Everything inspires my music," Rossi says. "After a certain point, you open your mind and you hear rhythms and melodies in a lot of different things. I do it because I love it."