I cringed when I heard myself described as a Jazz singer. I've always thought of myself as a Jazz vocalist.

Miles Davis was doing something inherently African, something that has to do with all forms of American music, not just jazz.

I'm always imagining some sort of story behind the song, even the ones I haven't written. I'm actively engaging in playacting.

I know you're supposed to set goals for yourself. I see all that motivational stuff on television. Think about the future, what's next! But I'm all into the journey. It's fascinating to me. So if I make certain what I want moment to moment, I'm cool at the crossroads.

My grandmother sang, too, and she was really loud. It was this wild kind of singing. I count her among my influences.

Being black, I'm involved in the reparations movement. It's focused toward the African-American audience. We could begin to heal.

Everything I do is collaborative. It's just my way. I'm really very interested in how the other musicians perceive the song.

I'm always looking for ways to develop as a Jazz artist, to find different ways of using my voice.

Miles Davis was a master. In every phase of his career, he understood that this music was a tribute to the African muse.