When young trumpet lion Nicholas Payton takes the Jazz Tent stage on Sunday, April 28, it will be a high point, though by no means a culmination, in a lifetime of Jazz Fests. The son of well known bassist Walter Payton (his mother is also an operatic singer and a classical pianist), Nicholas has attended every Jazz Fest since his birth, participating as a musician, in some form or another, since he was 12.

"Oh, man, it's my favorite time of the year," says Payton. "To me, it has strong emo...