Roscoe Mitchell’s performance will be a cornerstone of this year’s festival. “Seeing as it’s the 40th edition of the festival, it was important to me to invite a few artists who have long been associated with the event,” said Scott Thomson, the fest’s new director.

Nicholas Payton, left and Tim Warfield, performing at last year’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, demonstrate the event’s dedication to great jazz.

Duane Davis (left), Oscar Hernandez and Terri Lyne Carrington at this year’s JEN Conference in New Orleans.

“I’m also at a point in my life where I don’t feel like I have anything to prove, like at all,” Akinmusire says about his art.

On The Hidden World Of Piloo, Rovatti pays tribute to her father.

“He is always growing, always learning, always moving forward,” said John Zorn of Smith.

“I’m not rich financially, but rich in spirit,” says Miguel Atwood-Ferguson about the expense of making his new recording, Les Jardins Mystiques.

“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”

On The Secret World Of Piloo, Rovatti pays tribute to her late father.

“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.