Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis once called Atlanta pianist Joe Alterman’s style “happy music with meat on the bones.” Les McCann, who lent his talents in collaboration on Alterman’s new album, called him “mind-blowing.” Decades younger than his heroes, Alterman has a knack both for classic, authentic, joyful jazz and for fostering real connections with musicians who defined earlier generations of music. Alterman’s new release is called “The Upside of Down“. He joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk about the album and some stories of his encounters with jazz greats such as Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, Ahmad Jamal, and Oscar Peterson.
Interview highlights:
A burst of upbeat music in a difficult time:
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