JOE ALTERMAN is a jazz pianist devoted to joy.
He plays with swing, soul, and an unmistakable sense of uplift — the kind of piano that makes people lean forward, smile, and stay a little longer. Les McCann called him “a giant.” Ramsey Lewis called him “an inspiration.” Ahmad Jamal hailed him as “a very special artist.” And George Benson once told him, “You play good and you sound good — and there’s a difference.”
A longtime mentee of Les McCann and Ramsey Lewis, Alterman carries forward their groove-heavy, life-affirming approach to the piano — blending blues feeling and melodic clarity into a voice that is deeply rooted yet unmistakably personal.
Alterman has released eight critically acclaimed albums and performed at iconic venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and the Blue Note, sharing the stage with legends such as McCann, Lewis, Houston Person, and Dick Gregory. When he and Gregory shared a bill at the Kennedy Center, Gregory introduced him with a knowing smile and the line, “See? Integration works!”
His collaborators range wider than you might expect: he has scored several documentary films, including The Games in Black and White, co-composed with Atlanta music icon Dallas Austin, and his work appears on two Grammy Award–winning projects — President Jimmy Carter’s Last Sundays in Plains and Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Beyond the bandstand, Alterman is an accomplished writer and cultural historian. He has contributed liner notes to three albums by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and was the subject of Nat Hentoff’s final piece on music. He serves as Executive Director of Neranenah and hosts The Upside of Jazz on WABE 90.1 — Atlanta’s NPR affiliate.
But at the center of it all is the piano — joyful, swinging, and alive.
“Joe Alterman is doing his part to keep alive the art of the swinging trio. He is a wonderful pianist whose playing brings smiles and good feelings to his listeners - as he has caused me to experience when I heard his enjoyable album.”
“Joe is, for me, absolutely one of the most musically enjoyable, swingingest Jazz pianists who can be heard playing today. ”
“Joe Alterman combines outstanding musical technique with infectious enthusiasm for his work. I’ve seen him fill a room with joy as his skill at the keyboard combines seamlessly with his delightful and appealing onstage personality. Young Alterman is one fine, first-class entertainer.”
