I reckon Bobert has just said it better than I can, but here's what I've been thinking while he was posting that last gem:

I haven't much to say, yet I am reading, listening, and thinking hard. Thanks to all for the thoughtful discussion going on here.

Bobert talks of immersing himself in the music and culture of the people, and that dedication leads to an inner understanding that informs his renditions of Blues or any other kind of music. What matters is that he has respect for the people and music and he uses his understanding and skill to add to the pool of interpretations. That's not copying; that's being a skilled and aware musician.

Whatever I sing, it will sound like me. No matter if it's an old Scots ballad or something from Etta Baker, or something of my own, it will sound like me. My interpretations will carry themselves with fidelity when I have successfully immersed myself in the music and people of whatever tradition in which I'm working and when I have sung and played the songs and tunes until they are part of my own life's experiences and musical dialects. It's that sense of fidelity and understanding I'm aiming for.

m