Yes, most definitely! (laughs) On both counts! It really is great. Even though it’s my old band from my early days, it has been a little overwhelming. I’ll be honest; it’s been an adjustment in terms of scheduling as well. This started out as a part-time thing – like a lot of the things I’ve been doing. This year, it’s the thing! (laughs) The jazz trio also is very important to me, because it provides me the most creative freedom. Working that into the schedule with South By Southwest, a New Zealand guitar festival, the Monsters of Rock with Ozzy [Osbourne] in Canada and a run of US dates with Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell and Motorhead has been pretty intense. (laughs) But I’m squeezing it in.

And then before you know it, TSO starts up for me in November and December! Friends are laughing at me because I’m so busy, but these are all good problems to have. The fact that all these projects are so successful that people are clamoring for windows of my time – and leaving me to ask for days off – is a good thing.

Indeed. With so little time to yourself, are you getting to hear anything new? What are you listening to these days? Any new metal artists intriguing you right now?

I have to say I really like Meshuggah a lot. I like the really unique bands, like Dillinger Escape Plan and Apocalyptica – which started out as a novelty but proved to be more than that, didn’t it? A lot of people thought my jazz trio thing was a novelty when we started, but it’s serious, straight-ahead improv based on arrangements and not a novelty and people realize that now. And I think it’s gone as well as it has because I related to what some of these other acts like Apocalyptica are doing.

I know you’ve got gigs lined up with Testament, particularly on the “Metal Masters” tour with Judas Priest. But what’s the future look like for Testament – and your involvement in it – after this year?

Well, we’re getting big support gigs this year and the offers are coming in for next year, too. I want to keep doing it and make it work for as long as it feels right to do it. (laughs) Let’s put it this way: I can definitely see us doing another record, but the way I work, I can’t see looking beyond one record at the time. Right now, yes, I see it continuing but not necessarily at the expense of doing my other projects as well. It’s all about balance. I have another instrumental project I want to do on top of everything else we’ve talked about and it’s gonna be tough because there’s so much going on.