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.

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

My grandmother sang, too, and she was really loud. It was this wild kind of singing. I count her among my influences.

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

My father had all kinds of instruments in the house that he would hide from my mother. He bought them through mail order!

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

Miles Davis was a master. In every phase of his career, he understood that this music was a tribute to the African muse.