Alex Frank grew up in the room while the music was being made. The son of an LA film composer, he was a kid at recording sessions who traded the clarinet for an upright the moment he heard Ray Brown. Now he's the musical director of Jeff Goldblum's jazz band and one of the most in-demand bassists working the drummerless-trio tradition that ran from Nat Cole to Oscar Peterson. He joins host Mike Jones for a conversation about where that deep time and taste actually come from.

They get into the Australia tour with Goldblum, the thousands of hours it takes to make two strangers sound like they've played together for years, and the trio record Alex, Graham Dechter, and Mike cut in Mike's living room. Alex also tells the John Clayton lesson that shaped him, the night Quincy Jones called him over to say he heard Ray Brown in his playing, and how he found the upright Penn Jillette plays today.

Alex Frank’s Website

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Welcome to The Stereo Image, a lighthearted look at how music fits into the lives of creative and interesting people.

Hosted by jazz pianist and Penn & Teller music director Mike Jones, this show trades rigid music theory for great storytelling. Each episode features fascinating guests sharing their wildest musical memories, unexpected histories, and the songs that soundtracked their lives. From backstage antics to personal deep cuts, it is a fun, casual dive into the sonic backstories of exceptional creators.

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Joe Alterman fell for jazz at his dad's backyard barbecues: Wes Montgomery and Oscar Peterson over the steaks. He's spent his life chasing that same high. A 37-year-old pianist from Atlanta, Alterman talks with Mike Jones about coming up through an internship at the Blue Note, where his first assignment was keeping McCoy Tyner company for two hours, and how that hustle turned into friendships with his heroes.

He tells the story of meeting Les McCann, who took one look at the young player, said "play me some blues, boy," and christened him his "He-Bro" for the next twelve years. He and Jones swap road stories about Ahmad Jamal's advice to "keep your enthusiasm," the magic of sitting down with musicians who grew up on the same records, and why a slow blues still separates the players from everyone else.

Joe Alterman’s Website

The Upside of Jazz with Joe Alterman