Brad Dechter, a graduate of Yale College (BA in Music) and Yale University School of Music (MM in Saxophone Performance) has recently returned to his first love, straight-ahead jazz, with the formation of his Brad Dechter Octet, featuring many greats of the Los Angeles-area jazz scene as well as his wife, vocalist Maureen Smith Dechter. He counts his father Ted Dechter, a Los Angeles native, as his main teacher (Ted being a successful jazz and classical trombonist as well as a revered teacher in the LA Public School System for over 30 years). Mentors such as Ellington trumpeter Bill Berry, Kenton trumpeter Buddy Childers, copyist/orchestrator/trumpeter Stan Sheldone, and composer Alf Clausen gave him experience and caring advice on how to succeed not only as a complete musician but also in the Hollywood Studio scene. He has enjoyed working with many great film & TV composers such as James Newton Howard, John Debney, Marc Shaiman, Trevor Jones, David Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, & Lee Holdridge.Brad's extensive ear-training in jazz gave him the tools to "breakthrough" in the film business, his first gigs primarily being "sound-alikes". Training the new generation of musicians is a high-point for Brad, having a teenage son who is an accomplished composer, violinist, and guitarist as well as being on the boards of local youth symphonies and occasionally teaching jazz classes to enthusiastic youngsters.
