Since In A Mellow Tone is your 31st solo album, what’s the secret to your longevity in the music business?

You know what, I have no idea. [He chuckles] I stopped counting when I got to 10. Well, I think that there are several things. I try to really remain true to the spirit of the creativity of making the music that I really want to make as opposed to what other people think I should make. I’ve gone to school and studied so that I could always have something to fall back on if I needed to teach. The main thing is to learn the craft, which helps you to continue when a lot of other people may fall by the wayside...In a career that spans a long period of time, you need to have some kind of diversity. It means that you don’t just play the piano. Maybe you need to write a song … or produce a record. I have my own record company, BPM. All this creates this gumbo of why I am still around.

Why did you reunite with Stanley Clarke after 25 years?

The people seemed like they wanted it. Last year, we went out and did three dates in Florida. It was so successful and we had so much fun onstage that Stanley and I said, ‘We should do this for real.’