Play slow and perfect - that’s the way to becoming a virtuoso.

As far as Deep Purple goes, I mean, they're iconic. Their contribution is unquantifiable, and as far as the politics involved in things like awards, you know, I don't think anything, because I know what they mean to me, and I know what they mean to the people who like them. Awards are very politically based.

Possessing a healthy imagination is a necessary ingredient for creativity.

I'm always pursuing knowledge; I'm a seeker of spiritual equilibrium - and music is a big part of that.

My past is very interesting, and I treasure it, but to write about it, it's just not on my radar.

The blues scale was the first thing I learned. It's just a pentatonic scale with a flat seventh and a few notes that sound cool when you bend them. And because people have amalgamated the blues into this rock-blues scale, if you're using it, you better sound like a real authentic blues player.

A lot of those little things that I really like doing are just moments of cool articulation, just little moments of phrasing that probably go over everybody's head.