I'm always looking for ways to develop as a Jazz artist, to find different ways of using my voice.

Everything I do is collaborative. It's just my way. I'm really very interested in how the other musicians perceive the song.

Miles Davis was doing something inherently African, something that has to do with all forms of American music, not just jazz.

I'm always imagining some sort of story behind the song, even the ones I haven't written. I'm actively engaging in playacting.

There was a train that would come by our house every night, and I'd hear the whistle blow. That is the sweetest memory I have.

I know you're supposed to set goals for yourself. I see all that motivational stuff on television. Think about the future, what's next! But I'm all into the journey. It's fascinating to me. So if I make certain what I want moment to moment, I'm cool at the crossroads.

I was never interested in singing in the church or school. I was more interested in becoming a musician.