Question and Answer

Besides Herbie and the other people you mentioned, who else of the many people you've played with have influenced your approach to the music, and how?

There are so many. Drummers, in general. Roy Haynes has been a major influence for me, going back to a McCoy Tyner record called "Reaching Fourth" , which I used to listen to over and over just for Roy. That thing of playing over bar lines, which is something I like to try to do, most of that comes from listening to Roy. In the guitar world, I'd have to mention Mick Goodrick in particular as somebody who really had an effect on me. At the time I was playing in Gary Burton's band, he was the other guitar player, and he played with such incredible depth. In fact, everyone in Gary's band affected me. Steve Swallow is still a real model for me in terms of phrasing, especially the way you go across strings. And then Gary himself is weirdly underrated. Part of that is the instrument that he plays, and the complexity of the way he plays, with all four mallets; it's kinda hard to even figure what's going on sometimes. But putting that aside, the lyrical beauty of his playing, and also his consistency, being able to play tunes night after night and play different every night--of all the guys I've played with, I don't think anybody's been more creative as a melodic improviser.