I love working with the quartet. I have more freedom and flexibility.

My songwriting and my style became more complex as I listened, learned, borrowed and stole and put my music together.

I'm not a jazz singer.

The short answer is, yes, I think I have become a better singer.

From the time I moved to San Francisco in 1967 to play with the Steve Miller Band, there was a lot of support in the music community for one cause or another, but this one was special because it was put on by people who understood where musicians hearts are.

I listened to classical guitar and Spanish guitar, as well as jazz guitar players, rock and roll and blues. All of it. I did the same thing with my voice.

I'm still trying to re-create a Ray Charles concert that I heard when I was fifteen years old, and all my nerve endings were fried and transformed, and electricity shot through me.