It's relaxed and the people are warm.

I've gotten back with the band so I could get some rest!

We never really had collaborated [with outside musicians] before Howard left. It's been great, ever since Jeff joined. But I think there was a slight sense if we record as just the four of us, will it be as strong as it was when it was a quartet with Howard, with a guy who played five or six instruments constantly? I think as we played with the role of the saxophone and all of the different instruments that Jeff plays in the band, and all the band has learned to expand into the holes, we know how to play as a quartet now in a way that I think is as powerful as it was originally, and maybe more so in some cases.

The band deserves to be recorded. And we also recorded a live CD on the tour. Some day that will come out, for sure.

It's been an insane year.

We've been playing together since June. It's a cool experience on a personal level. They're the guys that I looked up to when I was coming up.