Joe Alterman and Friends Inspired by Brahms

Joe Alterman brings a jazz trio to the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families on Friday, February 26, 2027, for a night built around the music of Johannes Brahms. The set is an improvisational one: Alterman and his band take classical themes from Brahms and run with them in a jazz session. It's part of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Jazz Series and its 'Midtown After Hours' strand, and it fits into a larger pattern for the season — Brahms is featured throughout the ASO's 2027 season under Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann.

Alterman is an Atlanta native, born here in 1988, and he's an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer. He studied jazz piano at New York University and was mentored by figures like Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis, and Houston Person. DownBeat has compared his sound to 1950s masters like Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, and Bill Evans, and he's known for a groove-heavy, joyful, blues-infused style. He's headlined at the Blue Note, Birdland, the Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center, and has composed scores for documentary films.

Beyond the stage, he's a jazz journalist and arts administrator. He hosts 'The Upside of Jazz' on Atlanta's WABE 90.1 FM and serves as Executive Director of Neranenah, formerly the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. For this show, he's joined by Kevin Smith on bass and Justin Chesarek on drums.

The concert starts at 8 PM on Friday, February 26, at the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families, and it's a free event.