A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Joe Alterman studied music at New York University, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Jazz Piano Performance. In addition to performances with Houston Person, Les McCann, Dick Gregory, and his own trio, among others, Alterman has performed at many world-renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland and New York’s Blue Note, where Alterman opened many times for Ramsey Lewis. Alterman has released nine critically-acclaimed albums, his most recent being 2025’s Brisket for Breakfast. Les McCann called Alterman “tiny, but only in stature; as a man and a musician he is already a giant.”
Joe’s weekly radio show, The Upside of Jazz, airs Saturdays at 7 p.m. on WABE 90.1.
