Broadway to Bacharach and Beyond: How Jewish Songwriters Shaped the Pop Sound of an Era

What does Jewishness have to do with the sound of American popular music? In this lively one-man performance, pianist and storyteller Joe Alterman traces the remarkable influence of Jewish songwriters on the music Americans have loved for generations, from the golden age of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley to the emergence of the singer-songwriter and rock era. At the piano, Alterman brings the music to life while sharing the stories, personalities, and cultural forces behind some of the most enduring songs of the 20th century.

Along the way, discover the surprising connections between Broadway composers and artists such as Carole King, Burt Bacharach, and Bob Dylan. What made the Jewish songwriting tradition so central to the development of the American pop sound? And how did a generation of Jewish artists transform the way Americans wrote, performed, and listened to popular music?

With humor, history, and plenty of music, Broadway to Bacharach and Beyond offers a fresh look at the Jewish contribution to American popular culture and makes the provocative case for Bob Dylan as the “Lenny Bruce of music.”

Photo: Anna Yatskevich