When you compare music, you lose the joy of listening to it.
I like forms that are flexible, that can let you feel creative.
Hang on to your eccentricities, because they will give you a style.
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.
Who isn't a fan of Ray Charles?
...The key to playing with any group is you listen all the time and you listen more than you play.