Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Alterman moved to New York in the fall of 2007 to study music at New York University, where he earned both his Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees in Music. While there, he had the opportunity to study with greats including Don Friedman, Joe Lovano and John Scofield.
He has performed at venues around the world including the Blue Note Jazz Club in Milan, Blues Alley in Washington, DC, and Preservation Hall in New Orleans; he has led groups at venues in New York City including the Blue Note Jazz Club, the Iridium, the Kitano, 21 Club, Le Cirque, and Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, among others. He also recently performed at the "Marian McPartland Piano Jazz All-Star Celebration" at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, as well as at Jack Kleinsinger Presents "Highlights in Jazz", as a part of the "Next Generation All-Stars," where he performed alongside tenor saxophone great Houston Person.
In addition, he and his trio have performed multiple times at the Blue Note Jazz Club as an opening act for greats including Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis, Philip Bailey (of Earth, Wind & Fire), John Pizzarelli and Hiromi, among others.
Alterman’s most recent recording, Give Me The Simple Life, garnered much critical praise and reached #4 on the JazzWeek radio charts.
Hot House Jazz described Joe Alterman as "a pianistic wunderkind whose style recalls the elegantly swinging trappings of artists like Erroll Garner and Red Garland eschewing the well-mined vein of hard bop favored amongst today's younger players in favor of a more rounded vintage technique. Alterman brandishes a lyrical pianistic touch and an intuitive sense of swing that are a uniquely wonderful joy to hear.
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