Someone of Jerebine's musical calibre - he has played with Jeff Beck, Gene Pitney, Sandy Shaw - could have the ego the size of a planet.
But I found it a treat to talk with someone gentle, thoughtful and, above all, humble.
He gently corrected me when I suggested he was returning to the music industry.
"There is no return. I don't think I really left.
"I may not have been playing western music, but I was always playing something. We played drums and cymbals and sang the names of God.
"These days, I don't differentiate between eastern and western music. The language of music is universal. We play as we speak. It's all about communication.
"I never turned my back on music. You can't turn your back on something you love, because it's like turning your back on someone you love."
However, he does feel a responsibility for they way he left the music industry so abruptly.
"I shouldn't have just gone away. I thought my spirit was more important than music at that time."
He is looking forward to returning to Otago.
He believes the last time he played in Dunedin was in the '60s, perhaps with Peter Posa, the Pretty Things, or Bobby Vincent.
"I hope to do my tiny bit, to help bring love, peace, and happiness back to here. When New Zealanders say 'have a nice day', they really mean it."
But when asked the question that seems to annoy most musicians, "to describe your music", he simply replies: "I cannot".
Again, in his remarkable humble style, he hopes to entertain people well.
"I hope friends can come to hear, and I want to invite them to play with me, and with singers the same."
•Catch it
Doug Jerebine plays at Chicks in Port Chalmers on Wednesday, May 12.
