22-year-old Joe Alterman was born in Atlanta, GA, and has been playing music since the age of five. Alterman only graduated college this past spring, but he has already developed a long list of impressive credentials as a musician. 

Times Square (TS): I see you grew up in Atlanta. I’m From Greenville, SC, just up I-85! How did growing up in the South influence you?

Joe Alterman (JA): I don’t know what they played on the radio here in New York, but my older brothers played a lot of stuff on the radio like southern blues, zydeco, new Orleans, and even just classic rock from the south, and that has influenced what I play.

(TS): Zydeco! My dad played that every Sunday morning growing up! You’re a recent graduate of NYU. What made you choose that program, and how much was being in the city a factor?

(JA): I didn’t want to go to a conservatory. I didn’t want to JUST talk about music.

(TS): So did you get a BA instead of a BFA?

(JA): Actually, I got a B.M.—a bachelor’s of music in Music Performance. So I visited NYU and just really liked the program. I’m also Jewish, so I wanted to be around other Jewish people and that community. And being in New York was obviously important.

This interviewer also happens to be Jewish, and we talked a little more about that, and discovered that we even have a mutual friend who also moved to the city, as well as a shared love of Waffle House – a southern comfort you just can’t find in New York.  Says J.A., “You gotta love Jewish geography!”

(TS): Well we could go on with that a bit more, but “Jewish Geography” sounds like a whole different interview! So, you’ve played in many different places, including New York, Atlanta, and New Orleans: where is your favorite place to play?

(JA): The Iridium (in New York City) is really great; it’s just the most fun to play. I got to play with Houston Person there, and it’s always such a blast playing with him.

(TS): If you could play anywhere and for any audience, where would that be?

(JA): I really love playing in the clubs here, but where I’d really love to play a Jazz festival in Europe. I’d love to play in France or Italy. But, really, any of those European festivals. They’re outdoors and really amazing. Yeah, any of those.

(TS): For whom and what do you play?

(JA): I love to play for my friends. I’m really playing for the audience. A lot of Jazz musicians like to play for the other members of the band, and I don’t want to do that.

(TS): I’ve noticed that before. Sometimes jazz musicians give each other looks and are jamming with each other, and while it’s cool to see that connection, it does remove them from the audience a bit.

(JA): I just want people in the audience to have a good time.

(TS): Here’s a broad question: What does music mean to you?

(JA): Music has always been there. If I’ve lost a person, or if I’m having a crappy day, there’s always music to make me feel better. Even if I’m having a great day, listening to music just amplifies it! It never goes anywhere, and I can always come back to it.

(TS): A lot of your songs are covers, how do you select those songs to play and/or record?

(JA): There’s not usually a lot of logic to it, a lot of times I just pick songs I like. One of the exceptions to that is I’ll go through albums of standards, and I’ll pick songs that people maybe haven’t played in awhile or that haven’t been played in a jazz setting, or sometimes I go for rare songs.

(TS): Who have been your favorite people to study and play with?

(JA): As I mentioned before, Houston Person is a lot of fun to play with, and he’s also a great teacher. As far as studying, there’s a guy named Don Friedman that I studied with all four years at NYU. Most people switch piano teachers every few semesters, but I stuck with him the whole way through.

(TS): You’ve been recording professionally for a few years now, how does the difference in playing a live show versus recording in a studio affect your process?

(JA): The biggest difference in the studio is that there’s a time constraint. It creates a different kind of focus. When I play a live show, I can play as long as I want. I can solo out. When people listen to a recording, they don’t necessarily want to hear a seven-minute piece like they would in a live show. When I record, I have to say as much as I would say in seven minutes in a live show in three minutes. I also can’t necessarily listen back to a live show like I can a recording (well I can, but it’s different). I don’t want to play stuff that I wouldn’t want to listen to on a record. (chuckles)

(TS): Last question: Do you have any plans to record a follow up to Piano Works (Vol 1)?

(JA): Yes! I was in the studio recording in September, and we’ve just finished mixing and mastering. I’m trying to get it out to labels to sell it. It was awesome because one of my favorite musicians, his name is Ahmad Jamal, I got to use his band when I recorded. Hopefully I’ll have some stuff out in the next three or four months!

(TS): Well, that about wraps it up.  Thank you so much for your time, and good luck with your next album!

Further information on Joe Alterman can be found at http://joealtermanmusic.com/, where you can also find music samples and upcoming performance dates, including a show at his favorite venue, the Iridium, this Thursday at 10:00pm.

Photo Credit: WT Jacobs 

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