ABOUT JOE
Atlanta native Joe Alterman expresses a certain upbeat naivete, with a broad smile and bright eyes that make you feel welcome. One would not guess that this is a man hailed by greats; Ramsey Lewis describes his music as "happy music with tasty meat on the bones," Les McCann states "Joe's on a 'blow your mind' level," and Ahmad Jamal calls him "a very special artist." Journalist Nat Hentoff championed three of Alterman’s albums, as well as his writing (Joe wrote liner notes to three Wynton Marsalis/JLCO albums), calling one of Joe’s columns “one of the very best pieces on the essence of jazz, the spirit of jazz, that I’ve ever read, and I’m not exaggerating.”
Joe Alterman began at NYU with a BA and Masters in Jazz Piano from NYU and has since performed at many world renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland and Blue Note alongside Houston Person, Les McCann, Dick Gregory, Ramsey Lewis, and his own trio, among others. Downbeat describes his sound as “rooted in the blues, and with a touch reminiscent of the great pianists of the 1950s—Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans.” It is clear Joe hits all of the necessary points for Jazz critics and fans alike.
But there is more to the story, of course. The 21st century has brought another transition for this thing called jazz; in one moment we see the push and pull between tradition and progression, and in another we see Pop and Hip-Hop musicians emulating and sampling. In Joe Alterman we find none of this struggle; the music just sounds good. Our conscious faculties are instantly disabled as we tap our feet, feeling the intent and joy of his playing. An old classic is new when you feel good in the moment. Or, as Hentoff wrote about Alterman in the Wall Street Journal, "Alterman’s continually evolving presence on the jazz scene surely makes people smile and, if the room is right, dance. There’ll be no need for any last rites of jazz.”
This fresh and joyful intent is captured on his recent release “The Upside Of Down,” which was taken from two live shows at Birdland and named the tenth most played album on jazz radio in 2022 by JazzWeek.
For bookings, press & more information please contact booking@joealtermanmusic.com
ENDORSEMENTS
"Joe Alterman is a breath of fresh air on the music scene. I love hearing him play! It’s happy music with tasty meat on the bones! Although much younger than I, he is an inspiration to me! His piano playing, his will to explore and his ability to swing is a joy to behold. He covers all the vases creatively, rhythmically and harmonically, and his playing is destined to reach a wide, wide audience. I've known Joe for the best of ten years and I deeply appreciate our friendship. It's always refreshing to get a call from him - or, at least once every several days I have to get my Joe Alterman fix and I call him."
- Ramsey Lewis
“Joe is tiny, but only in stature. As a man and a musician he is already a giant. He’s on a ‘blow your mind’ level. His music is from the soul. It’s real and it makes you feel joyous and happy. Knowing him is one of the great moments in my life and I’m so thankful. He makes me smile every day.”
- Les McCann
“Having known Joe Alterman on a personal level, I can attest to the fact that he is a very special artist.”
- Ahmad Jamal
"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.”
- Dick Cavett
"All the musicians who are now considered jazz legends played there [Birdland]: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Lester Young, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington, among others. Alterman would have been able to hold his own jamming with any of them…Alterman’s continually evolving presence on the jazz scene surely makes people smile and, if the room is right, dance. There’ll be no need for any last rites of jazz.”
– Nat Hentoff
"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."
- Monty Alexander
"Joe is, for me, absolutely one of the most musically enjoyable, swingingest Jazz pianists who can be heard playing today.
- Benny Green
"Joe has a great sense of what is most meaningful in the history and tradition of our music, and a real solid musical vision of where he wants to take it."
- Houston Person
“Pianist Joe Alterman pulls off one of the rarer feats in modern jazz: he swings — hard.”
– Downbeat Magazine
"Festivals from Newport and Monterey to Rio and Nice should try to book Joe while they still can afford him."
- Marc Myers, JazzWax