This year I was lucky enough to attend the 11^th Annual Newport Jazz Party and not only hear some amazing music but interview some of our most talented (if not best known) jazz musicians. In the next few weeks I will be airing these interviews and playing cuts from each musicians CD’s.

• Anat Cohen
• Holly Hoffman
• Graham Dechter

3-28-11 – Interview

Family stories say that at the age of 2 or 3 little Graham Dechter would sing along with the records his parents played or the music his film arranger Dad was composing. “It just came naturally” he says. It was not that he thought of becoming a musician, it was that he always was a musician. And he discovered his own way to make music. His first piano teacher objected when ­­five year old Graham refused to bring in the Bach piece he was asked to learn and instead brought in a John Williams film score – like Raiders of the Lost Ark. So Graham changed teachers. And although he learned piano and violin it wasn’t until he picked up the guitar – “just to fool around with,” that he discovered his instrument. Listen to Graham talk about the way he learned to play by ear and the unique way he found to play the guitar which is “not how any other guitar player plays” and of course listen to the compelling music he makes on that instrument.