"It Just Happens That Way" is an awesome debut for you on several levels. It's a totally solid album, it takes a fresh approach (pop-rock vs. urban) to Smooth Jazz sax, and it's been incredibly well-received by both the industry and the fans. How did this particular project and approach come about, and what was it like working with Verve's Bud Harner?

First of all, thank you! We had such a fun time recording this cd. I had been writing with a lot of people, but the songs that ended up standing out to me were the songs I had written with Matthew Hager, my best friend since college. Bud Harner and Ron Goldstein from GRP Records really took a chance and told us that they wanted us to go for it and record what we were hearing. We decided that we'd just make music...we wouldn't try to write a jazz record or a pop record or an urban record. We both had such varied backgrounds...we just wanted the freedom to make the music that was inside of us. And I feel that the music on this cd really does represent the sum of my experiences up until now. Bud Harner was amazing to work with...he was there for every note. Matthew Hager is amazing...he'd completely want the solo take that sounded like me instead of the flashy "hey isn't this a fast lick" solo. It was all about the music, and we lived it for about a month until it was completed. It was absolutely the most fun month of my life...and probably the most tiring!

You mention Dave Koz in your special thanks in the liner notes, and several of the songs (notably "As Good As It Gets") on the album sound like they have a Dave Koz influence. What's the connection there?

Dave Koz is one of the coolest guys...he came to San Diego and surprised me this year by walking onstage during my set and playing me "Happy Birthday". I just about fell over! There's a picture that a friend took of it on my website. What a cool birthday present, hmm?

I've known Dave Koz for quite a few years. We would always be playing the same festivals, and we became friends. I must say, I'm a huge fan of his as an artist, and he's one of the classiest guys around. A few years ago we were hanging around after an evening at the Berk's County Jazz Festival in Pennsylvania. He told me that I needed to record a saxophone cd. He really inspired me to go for it and start writing with my sax again. I'd been so immersed in the pop world, that I had mostly been writing pop and songs with lyrics. I really took what he said to heart. And a lot of these songs were written the year after we talked. I have to thank him for inspiring me to do this cd.

Who's Lucy?

Lucy Casado is the owner of Lucy's El Adobe, a mexican restaurant on Melrose in Los Angeles. Her restaurant has been my (and Matthew Hager and many of our friends!) biggest hangout spot for years. Little did I know when I started going that Lucy has fed and mothered a lot of musicians over the years. She's a huge fan of music. Her regulars include Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, and Jimmy Webb. She sent Tom Selleck over to congratulate me when my single "Lucy's" hit #1. Wow. She's also hugely politically minded, hosting democratic parties for Jerry Brown, hosting fundraisers for disabled children and hispanic politicians and rights. She's an amazing woman, and she's a perfect inspiration for my song. And did I mention the margaritas are amazing?

Do you have a personal favorite track on the album? (No fair just a yes or no!)

Ugh! I've heard songs be compared with children. You love them all for different reasons. It's so true! Each song on my cd really represents a different part of me. No, I can't pick one. I love "Home" because it's lonely and haunting. I love "Momo" because it takes me to a place far, far away. I love "Lucy's" because it makes me smile and makes me think of friends and fun. I didn't answer the question, did I?!

You've toured and been featured with some of the best in the business. Of those experiences, do any stand out as being particularly career-changing?

I've been so fortunate to have had the chance to tour with some of the most amazing artists. I feel that all of it has been an incredible journey. Each experience shaped who I am and what I have to say as a musician. I feel like every experience with different styles of music and different artists really adds a depth to anyone's musicianship and experience. Adam Sandler really taught me to let go and have fun with music. Be great at what you do, and don't take yourself too seriously! Bobby Lyle and his band really took me from a college player to a professional player. They were such amazing musicians with so much experience. They really showed me what I had to become, and helped me get there. The Backstreet Boys tour was such a life experience. Those guys are rock stars, and it was indescribably fun to play for 50,000 people a night. Jonathan Butler really gives his entire soul to the audience. He's such a breathtaking performer. He really taught me to give all I have to the audience.....show my soul and who I am. I don't think many things change your career overnight, I think it's a process, and all these people were a part of my process.

I understand you grew up in a very musical family. Who would you consider to be the single biggest influence in getting you to where you are now?

I had very supportive parents, and that made all the difference for me growing up. I was always singing and playing around on the piano. My parents started me with piano lessons at the age of 5. And I started playing saxophone in the school band when I was 8. I always played and sang. And in high school when I decided that I was going to go to college for music and be a musician, a few people told me not to...that it wasn't an acceptable path for a woman. My parents never gave me any inkling that being a musician wasn't possible for me. They told me the truth...that the music business is hard. It's a lot of work. It's not glamorous like everyone says. They really prepared me. My dad was a huge influence on my saxophone playing too. He's such a great player...very much a feel player. Sometimes I can get him to sit in with my band. We just hand the sax back and forth. It's awesome.

At what point in your life did you get that "knowing" inside that you would achieve great things with your music?

Wow. I don't know that I ever knew that I would achieve great things with my music! It's always been something that's been inside of me. And music's so fun...I have to play, write, get out there and perform. It's a beautiful catharsis to write or perform your own music. I don't think that I know sometimes if the song I'm writing is good or bad or meaningful to anyone but me. I think you just sit back after you create it and see if it takes on a life of it's own. I'll let you know if i get a "knowing" feeling anytime soon.

Is being one of the few prominent women instrumentalists in Smooth Jazz a hoot for you, or a challenge?

It's funny. When I started saxophone no one told me it was odd for a girl to play an instrument. And by the time someone did tell me it was a little odd for a girl to be playing the saxophone, I was already making a living at it. Thank goodness no one told me before it was too late!! I never went into any musical situation thinking "I'm the girl". I always just kind of did what I did. I figured that if I could play, then people would hire me. Every once in awhile I'll realize that I'm walking onstage to a bunch of crossed arms and blank looks in the audience. Then I realize..."Oh, I'm a girl. They're a little confused. They'll like me by the end of the song...I promise!". I'm not sure why there aren't more girls out there as instrumentalists in jazz. We need a little more girl power out there. I'm proud to represent the women!!

Are you into music in the mp3 format for personal listening?

That's all I listen to now! I just dump everything into itunes!!

What music are you into right now for your personal listening?

Ahhh...hold on to your chairs! I have a pretty diverse roster going in the itunes. Here are a few of my favorites to play now. I have these on "shuffle":

• Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley
• The Foo Fighters (the newest one)
• Coldplay "Rush of Blood to the Head"
• Verve Remixed
• David Sanborn (the new one)
• Duran Duran (I got to play 2 concerts for their US reunion tour 7/15, 16 so I had to learn some music...and I got hooked!)
• The Beatles (the #1's)
• ...and a few of my new songs that I'm writing for my next cd!!!

Stepping outside your music for a moment, what else in your life gets the juices flowing for you?

I like to hike. There are some amazingly cool trails up in the Hollywood Hills that are really fun to escape to. I love to shop...I don't have to buy anything. It's just the fun of seeing what's new! I make a lot of my t-shirts. I have fun bedazzling things and cutting sleeves into weird shapes and lacing things up and putting iron ons everywhere. I have to say...I never thought I'd say this...but I've had a little fun lately gardening at my house! I didn't think I had it in me, but I do!! My favorite escape, though, is the beach. I'm the whitest person you've ever met, but I'll be the first one at the shore with my 45spf on soaking in the sun!

If you had one piece of advice for a young aspiring musician, what would that be?

My advice for anyone who wants to be a musician is to go for it. A lot of people are talented. But a lot of those talented people aren't willing to put themselves on the line and really go for it. If you love music, then go out and play everywhere. Write, play, practice...become great at what you do. And don't give up. There are always plenty of people around who will tell you every reason why you can't succeed. Don't listen!

If you could live anywhere in the world you wanted, regardless of professional necessity, where would that be?

I have to say that I love LA or New York. The weather in LA is ridiculously perfect. Could I have a house in the hills with a view of Los Angeles and Hollywood? That'd be cool.