If the festival reflects the state of jazz (and I think it’s fair to say that it does) then folks: we’re good.

Nicholas Payton’s once-fiery blog has been quiet lately. After his provocative 2011 rejection of the word “jazz” in favor of Black American Music, Payton has mostly retreated from the volatile jazz internet.

When jazz legends grace the bandstand, it’s tempting to hope for an experience of time travel. Who among jazz fans hasn’t imagined themselves into the clubs of the music’s storied golden age?