When I choose material for an album all these songs I grew up with pour into my head.

I had heard blues and jazz all my life but I was never aware that it was associated with nightclubs and drinking.

I play piano, by ear. Yes, I write songs... and good ones.

It's logical that people from bad times will reflect their feelings in their communication. Music is part of the communication. If you lived it, you can do it.

You can't be different if you look at it. Being gifted is different. I had that in my piano playing. I'm very thankful for that. I'm very aware of that. The style and what I fed is just me. I never worked at it. It just happened.

To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that's not what I play. I play black classical music.

Every day has its emotional difficulties. I miss my mother whether I'm singing her music or not.