Who isn't a fan of Ray Charles?
Hang on to your eccentricities, because they will give you a style.
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.
...The key to playing with any group is you listen all the time and you listen more than you play.