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?...

Performing "Brother, I'm Hungry" with Snarky Puppy https://youtu.be/4xKnYC1K12M

Our approach comes from the New Orleans jazz tradition, where it is important to make sure the music is alive and reflects how we're feeling that day. If I'm excited one day and the songs are a little fast, well the songs are a little fast. If I'm struggling, have had...

When I'm coming out of the shower or driving in the car, if a musical idea came into my head, I would immediately sing and record it into my phone. If I'm sitting at the piano and happened across something, good or bad, I recorded it. I learned from Allen Toussaint...