The Grammy-winning jazz bassist, singer and composer capped a week of unpredictable weather and memorable performances.

On the heels of jazz fest, Nuits d’Afrique celebrates body-moving sounds from around the globe, with an emphasis on African, Caribbean and Latin-American rhythms.

“I was indulging in the luxury of denial, deep in rationalization, and I couldn’t see the uncomfortable truth,” Mestel, 68, ...