Alex Graf - Tony Rice's Manzanita Changed My Life

My guest this week is Alex Graf and we're talking all things Manzanita . Alex made the shift from a more jazz based background to flatpicking a few years ago and Tony Rice's Manzanita became one of the absolute cornerstone records for him on that journey. We talk about why it became so important, what Alex learned from Tony's playing on the record and why he still finds something new in it every time he listens. You'll hear about: How Tony's jazz influences shaped his approach to guitar The importance of musical conversation between band members on Manzanita The myths and legends that surround Tony's albums How Tony Rice's approach to chord voicings was inspired by jazz piano legend Bill Evans How reinterpreting melody, rather than just blowing through the changes, keeps music fresh and much more. To find out more about Alex, including his great teaching resource Alex's Acoustic Club , head to alexgrafmusic.com For news, updates and great free content on improving your playing, check out Alex's Instagram and YouTube Support the show === Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks - Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets - Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews - Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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Alex Graf - Tony Rice's Manzanita Changed My Life is an episode from Bluegrass Jam Along by Matt Hutchinson.

This episode is 62:50 long.

This episode was published on Apr 8, 2026.

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