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I also met, early on Ella Fitzgerald. Her songbooks are some of the most amazing bodies of work.

Our studio is kind of built into our home, so it's a place you can ramble, and we can do a pretty good recording here. The band is really comfortable her.

I was down with Lucinda Williams and Mary Chapin-Carpenter. We did an acoustic tour, just the three of us, three chicks and three guitars.

My mum loved Joan Armatrading and used to play her records all the time and even took me to see her a couple of times when I was really quite young. I didn't really like her music back then because my mum was always playing it, but I've grown to appreciate it more.

I toured with Lady Gaga, and her choreographer is incredibly talented and develops some crazy routines. Lady Gaga is very involved in the dancing, too, and she always wants to have creative input. I had an incredible time with her!

One of my biggest musical influences is definitely Ella Fitzgerald as a vocalist.

My wife, Barbara, is great. She arranges when I do work that I have a day off between performances.

I would say my greatest musical influences have been Ella Fitzgerald and Mary J. Blige.

Right after college, I got really into St. Vincent. She just is so cool and out there. I think that's super-inspiring. And tone and mood-wise, I just love Patsy Cline and Ray Charles.

My mother had a great vinyl collection, and she was constantly playing female singer-songwriters. I first learned about classic song structures by listening to them, and Laura Nyro particularly stood out. Her voice was outside what you'd usually hear on the radio; that really appealed to me.