I wasn't a trained Mickey Mouse club performer. I played in jazz clubs and restaurants.

Making records is fun. It's not some big statement. You're allowed to make mistakes.

I used to be a jazz snob, believe it or not. I sort of turned my nose up at anything more commercial.

I wasn't very aware of pop music because I attended an arts school. For me, it was all about jazz.

It's important to keep indie record stores alive because their unique environments introduce music lovers to things in a very personal way.

When something's ending, you go through so many phases, and it can be frustrating. But once you're out on the other side, it's like you can really see all the crazy phases you went through.

God bless Ray Charles. It was such an honor to meet him and sing with him and actually just to watch him sing from just two feet away.