Great long interview with Ed over at Spinner.com in which Ed talks about his sobriety and how it has affected his playing. Booze worked on him to the point where it became the necessary rocket sauce that allowed him to visit that place where he felt most comfortable playing:

It takes me a good hour to loosen up my fingers and I always just leave the DAT tape rolling or something, or a cassette, anything, and after two and a half, three hours, you kind of get into a zone that I’m kind of relearning because I’m not drinking anymore. When I used to drink, it would get me there quicker. It’s kind of the zone where you’re not thinking, where you’re just open to anything and I just believe that when you play long enough you’re able to execute with your fingers, whatever God gives you, and God’s not gonna give you nothing if you don’t practice or play. So after a couple, three hours, God says, “OK, he’s ready. I’ll throw him a bone.” And God’s got a sense of humor, too — sometimes he gives me s—, ’cause not everything I do I like.

I can’t imagine how hard that must be/have been for him to deal with over the years: booze is killing me, but I have to drink to do what I do. I’m glad he’s for now broken that cycle. Keep it up, Ed.