The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.

We did a two month tour with Taj Mahal that was really healing and cathartic and a good distraction after my brother passed away. Then I knew I wanted to take a year off, and it was really nice to have that chance to fall apart.

Really important issues are getting lost, so I can say I'm glad to be a citizen of the planet and do my part.

Jazz and blues fests are everywhere now, and Americana is going strong on college radio. What I'm hearing is an appreciation of real music.

I would like to inspire a lot of people to be active and give back.

Quakers are known for wanting to give back. Ban the bomb and the civil rights movement and the native American struggle for justice - those things were very, very front-burner in my childhood, as were the ideas of working for peace and if you have more than you need, then you share it with people who don't.

Life gets mighty precious when there's less of it to waste.