Loading...

PODCAST

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.

arts performing arts

All Episodes

40:21

Béla Fleck & Ryan Keberle

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/10/03

Joe talks with banjo legend Béla Fleck about his album "My Bluegrass Heart," first being inspired by the music of Chick Corea and then getting to work with him, as well as where the music inside him comes from. Joe also chats with trombonist Ryan Keberle about Ryan Keberle's Collectiv do Brasil's upcoming album, "Here is Donato!," the trombone's status within jazz, and Ryan's exploration of Brazilian music via the instrument. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

40:43

Diane Schuur, Jonathan Karrant & Mark Isham

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/09/26

Pianist and singer Diane Schuur and singer Jonathan Karrant have a conversation with Joe about Schuur's career, recording music together, and Karrant's latest album, "Full Circle," which is a tribute to Schuur. Then, Joe sits down with trumpeter and filmscore composer Mark Isham to talk about how composing for film differs from writing songs for an album, how music and art can be joyful and still be considered art, plus "At The Carousel Club," Isham's new EP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

39:57

Producer and Bassist David Robaire - "The artist has...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/09/19

Producer/bassist/artistic director at Sam First Records, David Robaire, and Joe talk about going from bassist to leading a label, how David thinks about taking a live performance and putting it on vinyl, and the ways in which a label can develop a very specific identity while offering a variety of music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

36:23

Bassist Bill Crow - "I'm still figuring stuff out"

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/09/12

Joe and bassist Bill Crow talk about the 98-year-old's lifetime spent in and around jazz. Crow talks about gathering stories from the jazz scene to write his monthly column forAllegro, which Crow wrapped up after 43 years in April, turning those stories into several books, including "Jazz Anecdotes," and spending time listening and playing in legendary clubs like the Village Vanguard and Birdland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

24:10

Comedian Robert Klein, Part 2

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/09/05

In the second episode featuring comedian Robert Klein, he and Joe continue their conversation about jazz and comedy, Klein remembers a special breakfast with Groucho Marx, and reflects on what it's like to go from the one looking up to older comedians, to new comedians looking up to you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

32:12

Comedian Robert Klein, Part 1

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/08/29

In the first of two episodes featuring the comedy legend, Joe and Robert Klein get together to talk about Klein's career in comedy. Despite not being a musician, Klein explains how improvisation in comedy is not so different from improv in jazz, opening for jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and The Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as his relationship with comedian Rodney Dangerfield.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

37:17

Kelly Peterson - "He was always looking to the next...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/08/22

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."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

35:03

Pianist John Beasley - "There is no clear cut path"

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/08/15

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

31:11

Larry Goldings - "That makes the challenge of being...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/08/01

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

33:23

Luther S. Allison - "It's a gift to be able to love...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/07/25

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

20:05

Tia Fuller and Shamie Fuller-Royston - "We've always...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/07/18

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

27:22

Harry Connick, Jr. on Finding Your Own Sound

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/07/09

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

23:29

Louis Armstrong & America's Voice

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/07/04

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:34

The Business Behind the Notes

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/06/27

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

25:28

The Sound Between the Notes

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/06/20

Joe shares the history of how the sounds of Jewish and Black communities came together and ended up shaping the sound of American music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

21:41

"For me, it's connection" - An Interview with Matt White

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/06/13

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

26:51

"It's almost mythology, it's so universal" - An...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/06/06

In the first of two episodes featuring artists out of Texas, Joe talks with vocalist Sarah Sharp about sitting down and listening to multiple versions of the same song to learn how nuanced different artists' interpretations can be, the jazz scene in Austin, and her new album, "Déjà Vu."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

27:13

An Interview with Sonny Rollins

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/05/30

This week we revisit one of Sonny Rollins's final interviews recorded in October 2025, when Joe Alterman sat down for a conversation with the Saxophone Colossus himself. Sonny Rollins passed away on May 25, 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

19:08

"There was something about jazz that pulled me." - An...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/05/23

Joe and pianist Sean Mason get together for a chat in which Sean explains why he believes the 20s are the most underrated jazz era, making the piano dance, and how Sean didn't feel like himself in the fullest sense until he started playing jazz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

39:54

"It is who I am" - An interview with guitarist Bobby...

The Upside of Jazz ·

2026/05/16

Joe and guitarist Bobby Broom talk about his latest album featuring Sonny Rollins' compositions, "Notes of Thanks," 16-year-old Broom getting his start alongside Sonny Rollins, and making a career in jazz in Chicago instead of New York City.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

37 results

Similar Podcasts

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Eliana Benavides

The Moth

The Moth

About Art

Heidi Zuckerman

Stage Whisper

Andrew Cortes and Hope Bird

Podcast Patapoe

0d0a