The finale of this year's festival reunites three musicians who have been among the leading lights of creative music since they arrived in New York in the 1990s. They have played together in many different bands, including Pachora (with Brad Shepik), yeah NO (with Cuong Vu), Alasnoaxis (with Hilmar Jensson), Human Feel (Speed and Black with Andrew D'Angelo and Kurt Rosenwinkel), and Blood Count (Speed and Black with Tim Berne, Michael Formanek, and Marc Ducret). Speed is also a founder of Skirl Records, which has supported an impressive array of bandleaders emerging in New York and beyond.