Musician

I remember seeing Tony Bennett on television. He was the only guy in the orchestra who was wearing a white tux, and I thought, 'That would be good. To be the only man on stage in a white jacket.'

I'm a jazz musician, and I really wanted to not miss an opportunity to have the full connection to jazz.

I think I make most of my decisions pretty organically.

Romance is one of the things that most countries share, and I've noticed how different communities have their own ways of singing about love and heartbreak.

I didn't arrive on the scene until after Jaco Pastorius had passed, but 'Three Views of a Secret' is a long-time favourite of mine.

The great jazz and jazz-influenced singers carry themselves with a certain panache and a certain elegance and, for lack of a better word, self-confidence.

I travel all the time. And as I go around the world, I try to learn a little something and not just take up all the available air.

While I revel in the memories of my own Grammy moment, I also know how it feels to walk away empty-handed.

Salacious? I suppose every once in a while the salacious thing is not a bad thing. It's kind of monochromatic if that's all you do.

If you start to dwell on your pain, the amount of pain will increase.

I haven't been afraid of John Coltrane or Miles Davis or Bill Evans or Wayne Shorter or Herbie Hancock. Why would I be afraid of the Beatles?

The singer is always an ambassador of music.

If I was going to sell out, I would do it for more than 10,000 records.

It's true that I'm not known as a crooner or balladeer. I'm known for a more crusading or quixotic temperament.

I spend upwards of 200 nights a year on the road.

That's the thing: There are so many art songs in jazz. It's a much more rich experience for the singer than people think.

I've tried to learn as much as I can about the great jazz singers to understand what makes them important, vital artists, but there is always something more to learn.

I really thought I was gonna have a straight gig. But these jazz musicians put their arms around me time and again and said, 'Hey, young fella, you're one of us. Come with us.' That's a big deal when you're young and looking for your way in the world.

There are incredible musicians around the world.

I've got more low notes than I had when I started.