I chose Yousef Boukella, an Algerian bassist who has been playing with me for ten years, and who is the musical director, singer and bassist of the Orchestre National de Barbes. He also just put out a great solo album. There was also Nene, a great Brazilian drummer who played with me for a long time in Paris. We were very well received on the tour. Lisa is a star there, it was practically sold out for two shows a night.
People are very attentive and respectful in Japan, they listen and learn a lot of music.
Brazilian influences Brazilian music in general has been a great influence on me. That's the kind of marvelous thing that happens in Brazil. In the plane on the way over, I didn't even know that jazz festival existed. I joined Victor's group and we played in front of fifteen or sixteen thousand people in a football stadium in Rio. That was my introduction to Brazilian music.