I've made more than 50 records with a wide range of music. I've often veered to check something out.

I think I always have been someone who likes to push at the edges of things, looking for something different.

I grew up in a farm town in Indiana. In the early years I played by myself, because there were no other musicians around.

I know of musicians who have played together for decades who hate each other. The Modern Jazz Quartet for one.

But if you listen to great piano players, both classical and jazz, theres a huge range of dynamics and colors and emotional expression thats possible with the instrument.

It hasn't been hard getting nominated, but winning it is another thing. The competition is tough.

There are a few things that I will hopefully be credited for as a pioneer. One is my four-mallet playing. Another one is the starting what was first called jazz rock in 1967 when I started my first band, later became jazz fusion by the 1970s.