I guess that planted a bit of a seed, so when Will left the group, they asked me if I'd like to do it. When I joined the band, Warner Brothers dropped the band so, although I think that had more to do with the band's performance of their recordings and not the fact that they had hired me. It's been a chance for me to play some really cool music and a chance to reconnect with a lot of fans from my past in Weather Report. To tell you the truth, Fred, it's been one of the first opportunities I've had to play in the United States. I've been having to go to Europe to play jazz for the past fifteen years.
Email helps, but there's no substitute for being here.
My wife and kids are tremendously patient and good-natured about it. Since I've come home from this gig in Europe, the phone seems to be ringing a lot. People find out I'm in town, I'm getting booked for a lot of sessions. It's nice to send the kids off to school, run off and work in the studio, come home for dinner, and get to spend some time with the kids before they go to bed. That's a lot more fun than sitting in a hotel.