Ahead of the upcoming release of Rough and Rowdy Ways, Bob Dylan recently sat down for a rare interview with The New York Times, published today. In it, he discussed his new single releases, such as “Murder Most Foul.”

“I don’t think of ‘Murder Most Foul’ as a glorification of the past or some kind of send-off to a lost age,” Dylan said of his recent release, which was his first ever No. 1 hit on Billboard. “It speaks to me in the moment. It always did, especially when I was writing the lyrics out.”

He also talked about the recent passings of John Prine and Little Richard. “Little Richard I grew up with. And he was there before me. Lit a match under me. Tuned me into things I never would have known on my own. So I think of him differently,” Dylan said. “John came after me. So it’s not the same thing. I acknowledge them differently.”

Later in the interview, Dylan discussed how jazz has influenced him. “Has any of it ever inspired me? Well yeah. Probably a lot,” he said. “Ella Fitzgerald as a singer inspires me. Oscar Peterson as a piano player, absolutely. Has any of it inspired me as a songwriter? Yeah, “Ruby, My Dear” by Monk. That song set me off in some direction to do something along those lines. I remember listening to that over and over.”

To read the full interview, click here.