The Jazz Gallery Mentoring Series Presents: Charles Altura & Jonathan Paik

Charles Altura: guitar

Jonathan Paik: piano

Harish Raghavan - bass

Jeremy Dutton - drums

Charles Altura, with his distinctive voice and innovative approach, blending traditional jazz with contemporary inflections, has secured a place as one of the most influential guitarists of his time. The Grammy-nominated artist was identified early on by the New York Times as a "blazingly precise young guitarist" hailed for his "quicksilver technique".

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, after graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Anthropology, he quickly became known for his work with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Terence Blanchard (including the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for “The BlacKkKlansman”), Ambrose Akinmusire and Tom Harrell. He has also toured and/or recorded with Tigran Hamasyan, Christian McBride, Ravi Coltrane, Jeff Ballard, Aaron Parks, Dayna Stephens and Thundercat. Charles is known for his effortless fluidity on guitar and is a much sought-after recording artist.

Jonathan Paik is a Los Angeles born, NYC based Korean-American pianist and composer and a recent graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. With his signature combination of virtuosity, subtlety, and lyrical depth, Paik’s playing reflects a deep grounding in the jazz piano lineage while embracing the fluid harmonies, rhythmic elasticity, and spacious improvisation of more contemporary idioms. His understated touch and melodic sensitivity make him a natural fit for mentoring format (particularly with Altura) where dialogue, curiosity, and artistic exchange are central.

Paik has emerged as a thoughtful and distinctive voice among the new generation of jazz pianists, equally comfortable navigating straight-ahead swing, modern textures, and expressive original compositions. In collaboration with Altura, he brings to the ensemble a refined presence with a license to reshape tradition through a modern lens while honoring the spirit of mentorship that drives this series. His performance in this setting highlights not only his technical command but his commitment to musical honesty, connection, and exploration.

Having been heard with the likes of Michael Formanek, Jahnvi Madan, David Binney, Alfredo Colon, Joe Morris, and Charles Downs, he plays to unconditionally uplift the music and people around him.

The Mentor and the Mentee

This installment of The Jazz Gallery's innovative Mentoring Series illuminates meaningful parallels in each artist's creative trajectories. When Altura first emerged onto the scene in the late 2000s, his reputation was shaped by a distinctive balance of tradition and experimentation—an exploratory harmonic sense, "quicksilver technique" and an unhurried, deeply personal sound. Paik now stands at a similar moment of artistic definition, with a voice that is at once virtuosic and understated, grounded in lineage yet propelled by a risk driven curiosity free of boundaries and a talented community of like-minded contemporaries in the vibrant NYC music scene.

Paik’s playing reveals a musician navigating the same terrain of discovery that characterized Altura’s formative period: lyrical but adventurous, harmonically open but emotionally focused, searching for new ways to connect modern ideas with the expressiveness of classic jazz piano. In the context of this mentorship, Paik’s sensitivity and evolving identity meet Altura’s seasoned perspective, creating space for genuine artistic exchange rather than imitation.

Mentorship has always been a key theme in jazz history. Most of today’s great jazz musicians were raised through informal channels and gained invaluable experience working alongside their heroes. Future generations of great jazz will depend on the continuation of this community-minded mentoring tradition that is, unfortunately, becoming less common as jazz education has become more formalized in conservatory and university settings.

The Jazz Gallery developed its Mentorship Program to cultivate a group of senior-level jazz musicians as mentors and to provide aspiring musicians with the opportunity to learn the music and business of jazz under the guidance of their contemporary heroes.

These young musicians will have the opportunity to learn by preparing for and performing in 4 concerts that are booked as a mini-tour, which will provide mentees with the opportunity to deepen their creative practice and performance skills. This will also teach mentees more practical skills of being working artists—skills set that are not taught in conservatory classrooms.

Black Squirrel Club offers a full bar with an excellent draft selection and delicious signature cocktails. We do not serve food, but you are welcome to bring your own or have it delivered once you arrive.

There is also free parking available at the Rivers Casino parking lot (3 blocks)

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