I don’t remember a time when there was no music in my life. I was brought up in church. It was an important part of my introduction to music. I had music lessons in elementary school but I did not continue my musical studies.
And growing up in Detroit, I never really thought about music as a profession, because there were so many great artists there, many of whom never made it onto the national or international stage … But one day, as the R&B was hot and heavy and the Motown swayed, I flipped the radio dial from AM to FM, and heard jazz, and became a convert.
What are some of your influences?
Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hartman, Nat King Cole, her diction was so perfect, I love her. Also, his daughter Natalie Cole.
How would you describe your music?
I am a jazz, blues and gospel artist, who also enjoys folk music. But, whatever I do, it’s going to be steeped in jazz, because it’s just part of my DNA now.
How would you describe your creative process?
Absorption, immersion. Everything for me is a song. Everything has music. So the birds are singing, I hear a song. The wheels are turning on a passing vehicle, I hear a song. I tell my friends that the radio is always playing in my head. They know that at any unexpected moment I can start singing.
