December 1, 2023
Spivey Hall
Morrow, Georgia – USA
Joe Alterman, piano; Kevin Smith, bass; Justin Chesarek, drums.
Harry WARREN: “An Affair To Remember”
Les McCANN: “Could Be”
Jonny BURKE/Jimmy VAN HEUSEN: “Like Someone In Love”
Les McCANN: “Samia”
Nurit HIRSCH: “Oseh Shalom”
Walter DONALDSON/Gus KAHN: “Makin’ Whoopee” (solo)
Les McCANN: “Big Jim”
Richard RODGERS/Lorenz HART: “Blue Moon”
Joe ALTERMAN: “Georgia Sunset”
Bob HAYMES: “That’s All”
Gene DE PAUL/Sammy CAHN: “Teach Me Tonight”
Joe ALTERMAN/Les McCANN: “Don’t Forget To Love Yourself” (solo)
Sigmund ROMBERG: “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise”
Jimmie DAVIS: “You Are My Sunshine”
Mark Gresham | 5 DEC 2023
In addition to its reputation for sterling classical music presentations and its nearly pristine acoustics, Spivey Hall’s season has long included an esteemed Jazz Series. This past Friday evening, Spivey Hall presented a concert by a familiar face in the metro music scene: jazz pianist Joe Alterman and his Trio.
An Atlanta native, Alterman has been a rising star in the jazz circuit for over a dozen years.
As evidenced by this Spivey Hall performance, there is an exuberant, overt joy in Alterman’s piano playing. He has an agile right hand, which he uses with technical and expressive fluidity that hints at Oscar Peterson, delivering a blend of musical influences in a delightfully confident and seemingly effortless manner.
The Trio’s varied playlist comprised a total of 14 selections in all, kicking off the show with Harry Warren’s “An Affair To Remember,” the title song from the eponymous 1957 American romance film, and closing with the old-time country standard “You Are My Sunshine” by the former Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis. In between came selections from various songwriters: Jonny Burke, Nurit Hirsch, Walter Donaldson, Richard Rodgers, Bob Haymes, and Sigmund Romberg.
Alterman played two items solo: the Donaldson/Kahn song “Makin’ Whoopee” and his own “Don’t Forget To Love Yourself” co-written with jazz pianist/vocalist Les McCann (recorded on his The Upside of Down album).
McCann’s influence on Alterman is evident given three other McCann songs played by the Trio earlier in the show: “Could Be,” “Samia,” and “Big Jim” — more than any other songwriter on the playlist.
“Georgia Sunset” was another Alterman original played by the Trio.
Well-deserved kudos are due to Alterman’s bandmates:
Whether laying down a solid foundation for the harmony or taking off into the upper range in solos, bassist Kevin Smith makes his instrument sing and swing with his rich tone, articulate playing, and spot-on intonation.
Justin Chesarek underscored the ensemble with tasteful drumming that was not overdone or excessive, at the same time drawing an impressive variety of percussive colors from his standard trap set. In extended solo, he delivered some almost sprechstimme voice-like percussive phrasing at certain moments. With drumsticks, he swapped seamlessly between traditional and matched grip in his left hand on a few occasions; he also used bare hands, brushes, and felt mallets in a few spots.
Alterman and his piano are certainly central to the Trio’s performance, but a jazz trio, like any small ensemble, is also about symbiosis, communication, and chemistry between the players. What we got musically from Joe Alterman Trio was greater than the sum of its parts. Their performance felt at ease; a tight ensemble with a fabulous balance of forces that also allows each musician their moments to step forward and shine.
Where does this lead to? Enjoyment of a vibrant, positive musical experience for the audience. That’s what we got on Friday night.
Since his 2009 self-released album Piano Tracks, Volume One, Alterman has recorded seven albums in all; the most recent, Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann – Big Mo & Little Joe, was released earlier this year. Worth checking out.
Significantly, Alterman is also executive director for the Neranenah Concert and Culture Series, which translates to “to come together and sing” in Hebrew, previously known as the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival.
That “come together” theme plays into Joe Alterman’s next performance in Atlanta, which will take place twice on Sunday, December 17, 6 pm to 9 pm, at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights as part of “Musical Intersections – An Exploration of the Black/Jewish Experience,” which will involve live musical performance, storytelling, and discussion. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
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- Joe Alterman: joealtermanmusic.com
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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