John Altenburgh, born John Altenburg on April 20, 1960, in Wausau, Wisconsin, was an American jazz and blues pianist, composer, and producer, best known as the founder of Altenburgh Records and the leader of the blues group Johnny & The MoTones. Altenburgh founded his label in 1989 and released his debut jazz album, Old City. During the 1990s, he released several albums that reached the CMJ and Gavin Report jazz charts, including Generations (1993), Heartland '95 (1995), and Legends of Keelerville (1997). His rendition of “Amazing Grace,” from Christmas at Buzz's Restaurant (1998), was selected for the Library of Congress music archives. In 2004, he formed Johnny & The MoTones, recording Two Hits for the Kitty at Sun Studio in Memphis, and later released albums including Shake It (2013) and Highway 51 (2018). He continued as a solo artist, releasing Sounds of Latin (2018) and Return to River Road (2021), and was recognized as a Wisconsin music historian and producer for artists including Melvin Rhyne and Rebecca Parris.
