George Porter Jr. taught me how to function in different musical environments. You adapt by having faith in the people you play with, trust in your upbringing and comfort knowing your ears will lead the way.

https://youtu.be/d65ivoNjpYo

At Jazz Fest I will play with five to ten different groups, each of which has 20 to 30 songs to prepare for. That's where it comes back to your training and having faith and trust in the musicians you are playing with.

Allen Toussaint was my biggest inspiration when writing and arranging "River’s on Fire". Because as New Orleans as he was, he was a very worldly and educated musician. His influences infiltrated the entire popular, rock and roll world. But everything he did was still...

One of the songs that's been fun to play live is "Cocaine and Chicken Fricassee". It's got a great groove and it gets people moving. It's also fun to watch the audience's reaction to the opening lines. You can see it on their faces. "Did he say what I think he said?...