People often complain that music is too ambiguous that what they should think when they hear it is so unclear whereas everyone understands words. With me it is exactly the opposite and not only with regard to an entire speech but also with individual words.

I've sung other people's music all my life.

I'm a Cancerian the typical crab with the tough outer shell and the soft bit in the middle. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with people being unnecessarily nasty but I can take it if someone doesn't like my music - I'm not everyone's cup of tea.

And why is our music called world music? I think people are being polite. What they want to say is that it's third world music. Like they use to call us under developed countries now it has changed to developing countries it's much more polite.

But for the children of the poorest people we're stripping the curriculum removing the arts and music and drilling the children into useful labor. We're not valuing a child for the time in which she actually is a child.

Most recently we've been working in concert situations rather than clubs. because there aren't too many rooms there like Ronnie Scott's that are pure music rooms where people come specifically to listen to music.

If I had to play only for people who liked the music because they heard it on the radio it wouldn't make me happy. That's why I'm working so hard to have yes a profile as an artist but also a profile as a DJ.

To me John Lennon and Elvis Presley were punks because they made music that evoked those emotions in people.

Boy bands should be exploded from a great height. They're just pretty people singing music written by others.

Bluegrass has brought more people together and made more friends than any music in the world. You meet people at festivals and renew acquaintances year after year.

That's why this generation is the least racist generation ever. You see it all the time. Go to any club. People are intermingling hanging out having fun enjoying the same music. Hip-hop is not just in the Bronx anymore. It's worldwide. Everywhere you go people are listening to hip-hop and partying together. Hip-hop has done that.

I don't need anybody to market or promote me. If people don't want to hear this music then it's not for them. You cannot please everybody.

What I took back because of my exposure to the Jewish music of the 30s and the 40s in my upbringing with my father was that kind of theatrical songwriting. It was always a part of my character. This desire to make people laugh.

When people hear good music it makes them homesick for something they never had and never will have.

I used to go to Bourbon Street when I was a kid and there would be club after club after club of people who were around when the music started. I mean these are legendary maybe not so well known but legendary musicians.

The music of Hendrix wakes people up to their possibilities. It's more than just dreaming about being a guitar hero.

Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development who love good music good books good pictures good plays good company good conversation - what are they? They are the happiest people in the world.

People think our music's very aggressive or angry or whatever and it's just the opposite really... I like laughing. And I like being really calm before a show and smiley.

And you have a record company behind it this is a key too you need people to fight for your records at least a little bit. So if you have a great song it's catchy and you've got a little bit of help I think that's all you need. But there hasn't been that in music.

I think it's important for people who love music to retain physical CDs or even vinyl because it sounds so great and so much warmer than music over the internet.

People who make music together cannot be enemies at least while the music lasts.

For whatever reason not all people are born with the particular gift of being able to express ourselves through music. And believe me it is a gift.

I'm not trying to clock scores in this lifetime it's just that things are better now than they were like five ten years ago. Music has gotten a lot better. There's a lot of people who are committed to - soulfully.

People are going deaf because music is played louder and louder but because they're going deaf it has to be played louder still.