Who isn't a fan of Ray Charles?
I like forms that are flexible, that can let you feel creative.
When you compare music, you lose the joy of listening to it.
Sound is what drives my solos, not verbal concepts, I never think 'I'm going to use a Lydian Dominant scale and then go up a half-step', even though that might be exactly what I end up doing.
Hang on to your eccentricities, because they will give you a style.
We don't want any vocalist messing up the music.