JOE ALTERMAN: ATLANTA’S PIANO MAN
He’s a pianist and composer whose jammed with jazz greats while creating his own sound.
Travelgirl: It’s an honor to welcome you aboard Travelgirl Magazine. You grew up in Atlanta and there are quite a few musical giants who have honed their skills in Atlanta and other cities in Georgia. The legendary Ray Charles was born in Albany; Otis Redding was born in Dawson; Gladys Knight hails
from Atlanta; and the incredibly talented songwriter Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah. Luke Bryan and Tricia Yearwood, both of whom graced Travelgirl’s covers, are also from the Peach State. Who influenced you when you were young and paved the way for your passion for music?
Joe Alterman: My dad influenced me. I asked for piano lessons when I was about three or four. I took a few, did not like it, and wanted to quit but my parents wouldn’t let me. When I was born, the first thing my dad noticed were my long fingers and he said that I would probably play the piano. I don’t think my parents saw much talent then; it was more about finishing something I’d started. But they wouldn’t let me quit, so, from three or four years old until I was 11 or 12, I took classical piano lessons, and I was always getting in trouble for changing notes.
As I was taking these lessons, which were basically a chore back then, I fell in love with other types of music, including bluegrass. My dad and I traveled to various bluegrass festivals where I first encountered traditional American music — much of which I later heard performed by jazz pianists through my dad’s recordings. And, that was what turned me on to jazz. Jazz musicians like Oscar Peterson and Ramsey Lewis played familiar bluegrass melodies in their own style. It was just so tasty, so creative, and so interesting to see what these guys would do with a melody. They did things that I never thought possible and that brought about my love of the piano.
TG: Did you study music in high school? Talk about the influence boogie-woogie music has had on you.
JA: When I started hearing jazz musicians interpreting songs at bluegrass festivals, I fell in love with boogie-woogie music, which is blues music that’s written for the piano. I remember I was about 13, maybe a little younger, and I went to my classical recital and instead of playing the piece that I was supposed to play, I played a boogie-woogie song. While the audience gave me a standing ovation, the school threw me out.
TG: Did you have a mentor in your formative years?
JA: In high school, after the classical school debacle, I found a teacher who was a better fit. His name was Gary Motley and he’s now the director of jazz studies at Emory University. Gary was a great teacher, perfect for that period in my life because he had an unbiased view of jazz piano history, so he taught everything. He was unlike some of the people I later encountered in New York who looked down on certain styles, techniques or eras.
Once I got to New York, I gained many mentors, some of whom were huge heroes of mine. People like Houston Person, who was an incredible saxophone player. I grew up playing along with his recordings and I never imagined then that we would get to play together. I also studied with the great pianist Don Friedman. I became incredibly close friends with the legendary Ramsey Lewis, whose piano I actually recently inherited — and I was friendly with the fabulous Les McCann, who called us Big Mo and Little Joe. I was also very lucky to have gotten to know Ahmad Jamal, the pianist whose music really changed my life. They were all mentors to me in different ways and I’m forever grateful.
TG: I’ve read you were a history buff and that studying history provided insight into different types of music. What led to your love of jazz?
JA: I feel like the more you know about the context of something, the more you can appreciate that thing no matter what that thing is. For me, that thing is music. I mentioned that my love of jazz really began with the interesting ways in which jazz musicians were interpreting well-known melodies that I already knew. So, it was really the interpretation of melody that brought me to jazz.
Studying history just adds a deeper appreciation. If you can know what a song is about or what it was meant to be about, it makes you appreciate it more. For example, “Our love is here to stay” is a very famous George and Ira Gershwin song. But the truth is that that song was the last melody George Gershwin ever wrote. He wrote it with no title in mind. It was just a melody. Then he died, and Ira Gershwin, his brother, decided to put lyrics to it, and he called it “Our Love is Here to Stay” as a nod to his brother George. Hearing something like that will give anyone who hears this story a greater appreciation for that song. So that’s why, and I try to do that with everything I play.
TG: You earned both a BA and a Master’s in Jazz Piano from New York University. Attending university at NYU must have been an enlightening and spiritual time for a college kid.
JA: Definitely. It was an incredible time because NYU was in Greenwich Village, which is where a lot of the jazz clubs are. I was there when many jazz masters we studied in class were still alive. Often, we’d learn about this musician in class, and later in the evening I’d go and see this person at night. I would share what I had learned earlier in the day, and the musician would affirm or correct the information. It was an incredible time for me!
TG: You are an accomplished and talented pianist; you compose music and thus far have eight critically acclaimed albums. That’s quite a feat for someone in their 30’s. What inspires you when you sit down to write music?
JA: Anything and everything. Life is inspiring. Music is inspiring. Nature is inspiring. Cities are inspiring. Everything that makes up my life inspires me when I sit down at the piano. I might just be playing around with one song and get stuck on one idea as I improvise, which will lead me to get stuck on another idea, which will lead to an entirely new song. It is literally anything and everything.
I feel very lucky that there’s a lot of music inside of me, and all I really need to do is turn on the faucet and let it gush. It won’t stop until I turn the faucet off. That said, the most important thing for any musician or artist who recognizes that they have been given a gift is to recognize that it’s not about them. The gift is to become a vessel for that gift. I’m a vessel for the music to come out. That’s all, and that’s humbling.
TG: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington are just a few of the celebrated jazz legends. Now you, Joe Alterman, can count yourself among them. If you could choose one jazz legend to jam with today, who would it be?
JA: If I could choose one jazz legend to jam with today, it would be the late, great bassist Ray Brown. I love his sound so much and just wish we could have played a little blues together. That would’ve been a treat.
TG: I love the “Remembering” passages on your website under the heading “Writing”. They are quite memorable. Each person you write about must have been an inspiration to you.
JA: I love writing and it’s a special way for me to not only write all these incredible memories down, but also to work through some sad feelings when one of these heroes or mentors passes away. Someone like Les McCann, we talked on the phone every day for years. It was a really hard thing to lose him, but writing about him is not only a way to document special stories and memories, but it’s therapeutic, too. It brings back so many memories that make me laugh out loud and smile.
TG: Please tell us about your involvement with Neranenah, an Atlanta-based Concert & Culture series, which celebrates Jewish contributions to music and the arts.
JA: Neranenah means “let’s come together and sing” in Hebrew. We are a concert and culture series that celebrates Jewish contributions to and interactions with the arts, often alongside other communities, most notably the African American community. Neranenah used to be called the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, but the question to me has always been “What is Jewish music?” The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival defined it as “a Jew playing music,” which I don’t necessarily agree with.
For me, the question is “beyond this person happening to have been born Jewish, what, if anything is Jewish about their music?”. To me, Jewish music is not a genre of music. It’s much more than that. Consider Jewish people like Alan Lomax, who traveled the country and the world documenting rural musicians, seeking along the way to convince them of their worth by playing their music back for them. Remember the great Milt Gabler, who was the only one willing to record Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” after Columbia Records and John Hammond turned it down. Also, Alfred Lion, Frances Wolfe, and Norman Granz, people who are responsible for the documentation of so much incredible American music. They entered the music business out of their passion for music and their opposition to the prejudice faced by the musicians they admired.
These are people who preserved and championed the roots of Black American culture, helping elevate street life to the realm of high art. What’s interesting about the above is that none involves Jewish performers or composers, but all are deeply important to the music that’s shaped American culture. The stories are powerful, inspirational and Jewish. I’m convinced it’s the story that makes the music Jewish. Jewish music is not only music composed by Jews and performed by Jews, but also music that has been influenced and expanded, in part, by Jews to make it uniquely American. These are stories that we can all identify with and celebrate together. After all, while this is a Jewish organization, music is for everyone and Neranenah embraces and reflects that.
TG: You’ve performed at legendary venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland Jazz Club, and Blue Note, performing alongside jazz greats Houston Person, Les McCann, and Ramsey Lewis. You’ve opened for Dick Gregory at the Kennedy Center and performed internationally at the Blue Note Jazz Club in MIlan. You’ve also performed at the Blues in Washington, DC, and the iconic Preservation Hall in New Orleans. Do you have a favorite venue, one that everyone should put on their musical bucket list?
JA: I truly love most of the venues I’ve played at. They all have something different to offer. My dream venue to play is the Village Vanguard in New York, but there’s nothing more exciting than playing somewhere like Birdland in New York or even Eddie’s Attic here in Atlanta. I love an intimate vibe. This music is meant to be felt close up, and I love the opportunity to do that.
TG: You’ve traveled to perform concerts all over the world. Do you have a favorite travel destination?
JA: Truthfully, I think my favorite country is Greece. I loved going to the islands. I’ve never played in Greece, but I loved visiting there and hope to be back to perform some time in the future.
TG: You are a renowned pianist; is there one item you never leave home without?
JA: My wallet! Although sometimes I forget it!
TG: What’s next for the incredible Joe Alterman and can you please tell us where we can see you perform throughout the remainder of the year?
JA: I just began hosting a weekly radio show on WABE in Atlanta, which is an Atlanta NPR affiliate. The show is called “The Upside of Jazz,” and it’s on every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. I hope Travelgirl readers will give it a look or a listen. In terms of performances, I have a European tour in mid-September and a tour in Germany in November. Over the next few months, I’ll be in Chicago, New York, Houston, and more. Next up in Atlanta is October 9th at Eddie’s Attic and November 21st at the High Museum.
TG: You are a positive and engaging force in music. Your talent, energy, and enthusiasm inspire and uplift every audience. Travelgirl applauds your dedication, talent, and commitment to advancing positive change through music. Your continued efforts contribute significantly to ensuring jazz remains valued and appreciated by future generations.
JA: Thank you so much!
