Arts

The Upside of Jazz

Atlanta-based jazz pianist Joe Alterman expresses his deep appreciation of jazz and swing in his performances and compositions. Now he shares that love of jazz on The Upside of Jazz, celebrating the legendary performers of jazz and exploring what makes the music so timeless and endearing to listeners.

Latest Episodes:

Kelly Peterson - "He was always looking to the next thing" Aug 22, 2026

Show notes

Joe has a conversation with Kelly Peterson, whose husband was Oscar Peterson, about the legendary pianist. Peterson shares the story of how she and Oscar built a life together, some of his more underappreciated skills as a pianist, as well as developing the new box set of previously unreleased recordings of Oscar Peterson playing live all from around the world, aptly titled "World Tour."

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Pianist John Beasley - "There is no clear cut path" Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

Joe and pianist John Beasley have a chat about Beasley's new album, Invisible Piano, which was inspired by a tour of an art museum in Stuttgart, Germany, how he found musical inspiration in non-musical art forms, his time playing alongside Miles Davis, and how spiritual practice and practicing music are both rooted in trying to improve.

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Larry Goldings - "That makes the challenge of being myself harder" Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

Joe talks with pianist and organist Larry Goldings about finding his own sound while playing a range of styles with a variety of people, "Rhombus," Goldings's new album with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart, and how being able to listen back to a recording of yourself is both a blessing and a curse.

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Luther S. Allison - "It's a gift to be able to love this" Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

Joe and pianist/drummer Luther S. Allison sit down for a discussion about exploring jazz by learning how to play different instruments, how the places you live shape the kind of music you play, and how the hope he finds in jazz is through its connection to the history of the United States.

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Tia Fuller and Shamie Fuller-Royston - "We've always embraced all types of genres" Jul 18, 2026

Show notes

Pianist Tia Fuller and saxophonist Shamie Fuller-Royston have a chat with Joe about playing music as a family when they were kids and now together as adults, their latest album, "Dynasty, Vol. 2," and how, as long as the music is good, they embrace all genres.

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Harry Connick, Jr. on Finding Your Own Sound Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Joe sits down for a conversation with pianist, singer, actor, bandleader, and author, Harry Connick, Jr. to talk about learning piano from James Booker and Ellis Marsalis in New Orleans, musical influences, and the importance of accepting what one has to offer when looking for your own sound.

If you’re listening in Atlanta, catch Harry Connick, Jr. in concert at Chastain Park on July 11 at 8 p.m.

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Louis Armstrong & America's Voice Jul 04, 2026

Show notes

To celebrate the United States’ 250th, Joe Alterman explores the remarkable story of Louis Armstrong — how America found its voice in him, how he became one of its greatest ambassadors to the world, and why that voice continues to resonate today.

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The Business Behind the Notes Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

Joe explores the important, prolific, and complicated relationship between Jewish immigrants and Black musicians — and how their intersecting stories helped give birth to the American music business and shape what Americans listened to throughout the 20th century.

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The Sound Between the Notes Jun 20, 2026

Show notes

Joe shares the history of how the sounds of Jewish and Black communities came together and ended up shaping the sound of American music.

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Matt White - "For me, it's connection" Jun 13, 2026

Show notes

In the next episode of The Upside of Jazz featuring artists out of the South, Joe has a conversation with Columbia, South Carolina native, trumpeter, composer, and educator Matt White about how music swings just a little differently from city to city, his latest album of Dolly Parton songs, "Matt White's Dolly," and how the care put into learning jazz empowers musicians to learn any kind of music.

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