KARLA HARRIS AND THE JOE ALTERMAN TRIO

The Moon To Gold Show

Karla Harris ~ vocals | Joe Alterman ~ piano | Kevin Smith ~ bass | Justin Chesarek ~ drums

Jazz vocalist Karla Harris has made a career within the art form she loves for more than three decades, captivating audiences from Portland to Provence. While in college, Karla began singing with the St. Louis Jazz Quartet, a group featuring highly regarded regional jazz vocalist Jeanne Trevor, an early mentor. In the early 2000s, she was lead vocalist in combos led by internationally acclaimed bassist Tom Kennedy, whose credits include such greats as Rosemary Clooney, Freddie Hubbard, Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Ben Vereen, Dave Weckl.

In Portland, Karla began working with players such as Randy Porter (Diane Schuur, Gino Vanelli), Bobby Torres (Joe Cocker, Etta James, Tom Jones), Steve Christofferson, and more in that nurturing environment.  When asked, she quickly describes her influences as Nancy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and the Fifth Dimension.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Joe 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.  Alterman continues to perform at many world-renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland and New York’s Blue Note, where Alterman has opened, many times, for Ramsey Lewis.  Les McCann said of the young Alterman “tiny, but only in stature. As a man and a musician. he is already a giant.”  Joe says that his influences and heroes are: Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, and Houston Person.

“Joe has a great sense of what is most meaningful in the history and tradition of our music, and a real solid musical vision of where he wants to take it.”— Houston Person

Showtimes: 7:00pm | 9:15pm