Karla Harris is a jazz vocalist that grew up in the suburbs west of St. Louis. As a child, she listened to Nancy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis Jr., The Fifth Dimension, Aretha Franklin, and many others included in her parents’ album collection. In college, she began singing with Gateway Jazz Ensemble which featured jazz vocalist and her early mentor, Jeanne Trevor. She was also the lead vocalist in combos led by internationally acclaimed bassist Tom Kennedy in the early 2000s. She’s since relocated to Atlanta, where she now lives.
Joe Alterman is a jazz pianist and journalist who was born and raised in Atlanta. He studied music and earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at New York University. While at NYU, he studied with greats such as Don Friedman, Joe Lovano, and John Scofield. He and his trio were on stage at the Emma Kelly Theater in 2019. The members of the quartet are Karla (vocals, music selection, and co-band leader), Joe Alterman (piano, music selection, and co-band leader), Kevin Smith (bass), and Justin Chesarek (drums and percussion).
Now, these great musicians have come together again and will be performing on January 21st.
