How a boy from Brooklyn who had polio became one of Augusta’s most fascinating voices in health, education, and classic American jazz

When I first looked at Dr. Warren Karp’s resume, I didn’t even know where to start. PhD in Physiological Chemistry from Ohio State. Professor emeritus at Augusta University. Published researcher. Peer-reviewed author. Philanthropist. Committee member for national health organizations. Oh, and a musician.

But when I asked him about it, he didn’t start with any of that. He started with something I didn’t expect.

“I grew up in an era where educated people were expected to be Renaissance people,” he told me. “Education was modeled after Renaissance education, which meant that you had a broad understanding, knowledge, and skills in both the arts and the sciences.”

And that, right there, sums up Dr. Karp perfectly. He is a well-rounded individual with an affinity for just about every subject.

A Lifelong Learner in a World That Just Wants a Job Title

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Karp’s parents were first-generation Americans who spoke different languages at home. His grandparents migrated from Russia during the pogroms — think Fiddler on the Roof. They were both orphans who met on the boat coming to America.

That immigrant tradition shaped everything. He told me about attending India Day at the Maxwell Theater here in Augusta, and how the children there reminded him of his own upbringing — singing, dancing, poised in public speaking, and all heading into professional schools. “That’s my tradition,” he said. “The goal is to try to become lifelong learners.”

When he was growing up, people would ask him what he wanted to do with his life. His answer? “I want to learn. I want to be a lifelong learner.” And the response was always the same: “Well, what kind of job can you get just learning?”

He would laugh and say that the role of education is not to get a job — it’s to learn how to think on higher levels. To take known facts, form new relationships between them, and come up with new ideas. That’s how innovation happens.

It’s a perspective that feels almost radical today, when education is focused on technical specialization and landing a job. But talking to Dr. Karp, you realize it’s not radical at all. It’s just rare.

From Brooklyn to the Garden City

So how does a boy from Brooklyn end up in Augusta, Georgia?

When Dr. Karp finished his PhD in biochemical nutrition at Ohio State, he was working on prenatal and perinatal nutrition — studying how food crosses the placenta from mother to fetus. The researcher he was working with became chairman of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia and invited him to head up the research component.

“A boy from Brooklyn ending up in Augusta, Georgia — it was beyond my comprehension,” he laughed.

But here’s how he described his first visit: “The only thing I knew about Augusta was that in April, when there was still dirty snow slush on the streets in New York, you turn on the Masters and there were flowers blooming.”

When he got off the plane at Augusta Regional Airport — which at the time looked nothing like it does today — he walked through a field of blooming pansies to get to the terminal. Coming from cold, miserable, dirty New York, he said it was like Dorothy opening the door in The Wizard of Oz.

At the time, the Medical College of Georgia was known as the “sleepy little medical school in the South.” But in the 70s and 80s, it was transforming into a national and international institution. They were bringing in outside talent to stimulate growth, and Dr. Karp was part of that wave.

What sealed the deal was the quality of life. “To have a medical school in such a medium-sized and beautiful city is very unusual,” he told me. “In New York, you drop off your kids at a daycare 40 miles one way, then take the subway 30 miles another way. God forbid your kids get sick during the day. In Augusta, we could be at the daycare in three minutes.”

He also couldn’t stop talking about the cultural scene — the Augusta Symphony, which he calls “world-class,” the Evans Performing Arts Center, which brings in touring Broadway companies, and the Augusta Players. “We used to have to go to Charlotte to see some of these shows. Now they’re coming right to us.”

The Music

Let’s talk about the jazz. Because this is where Dr. Karp really lights up.

He’s been performing since he was four years old. Classic American jazz — the kind you hear from Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Michael Bublé. Not progressive jazz or modern jazz. The good stuff. The romantic stuff. The kind that crosses generations.

He told me a story that stuck with me. When he performs at a wedding rehearsal dinner, people of all ages are there — from the newborn baby to the 90-year-old grandma. “I can see the five-year-olds dancing to my jazz in the front,” he said. “But the 90-year-old grandma with Alzheimer’s is humming to the tunes.”

That’s the power of the music he plays.

Dr. Karp performs solo with high-quality backing tracks, as a duo with jazz trumpeter Fabio Mann — with whom he has a rare musical connection — and can scale up to a trio or quintet.

Being honest, though, he was clear about one thing: if you’re trying to make a living solely from jazz in Augusta, it’s going to be tough. For that, you’d need to be in Atlanta, Charlotte, or even Greenville. But as a complement to his academic life, it’s been a source of joy for decades.

Speaking of which — if you’re looking for something to do, on March 6th, Dr. Karp will be performing gallery jazz at the River Island Clubhouse in Evans during the Mascaro Art Group’s yearly exhibit. Art, jazz, wine, and a deck overlooking the Savannah River. Not a bad way to kick off the weekend.

On Education, AI, and Critical Thinking

Our conversation naturally drifted into education and technology. I brought up how my kids use calculators for the simplest math — even eight times eight — and how it drives me crazy. Dr. Karp surprised me with his response.

“I would differentiate using tools,” he said. He’s actually impressed with how math is taught these days, at least by good teachers. His grandkids don’t just memorize multiplication tables as we did. Instead, they go into the process of solving problems. The calculators are a tool in their thought process, not a replacement for thinking.

Where he does share my concern is with AI and brainstorming. I mentioned how my kids’ idea of brainstorming is asking AI — there’s no real struggle to come up with ideas anymore. Dr. Karp compared it to the difference between searching for a book online versus physically going to a library.

When you walk through a library, you see other books you didn’t know existed. You stumble onto something new. That serendipity is harder to find when everything is served up by an algorithm.

That’s a real thing. Experts call it “digital amnesia.” Some might refer to it as “The Google Effect.” The information is so readily available that the brain does not see the need to retain it long-term.

His bottom line? Education should be about developing critical thinking skills. “That will allow people to discriminate facts from non-facts,” he said. And in an era where information — and misinformation — is everywhere, that skill has never been more important.

He even runs a Facebook page called “Ask Dr. Karp” where people can leave health questions and get evidence-based answers. Not feelings. Not opinions. Evidence.

On Nutrition: Eat Like Your Mama

This is where Dr. Karp’s expertise really shines. As a specialist in biochemical nutrition, he has spent decades studying what we put in our bodies and how it affects our health.

But his advice isn’t complicated. In fact, it’s refreshingly simple.

Stick to the basics: mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grain starches, fish or soy for protein, and red meat only occasionally and in small amounts. Use fresh herbs and spices. If you look down at your plate and see mostly plants, whole grains, and a little animal protein, you’re doing a good job. If you see mostly fried and pre-prepared food, you have a problem.

I told him about growing up in Brazil, where my mom would buy fresh vegetables and chicken from the local market. We had to return a little later to pick up the bird. He lit up. “That’s exactly what we used to do,” he said. “We’d pick out a live chicken, come back, and that would be the chicken that was walking around the yard an hour before.”

One of my favorite things he shared was about his time advising international students at MCG. He would tell them: “Eat like your mama and papa ate, not like Americans are eating.” Because many immigrants, if they don’t gain the 20 to 30 “American pounds,” their relatives back home don’t think they’re successful.

He also introduced me to what he calls “Feng Shui cooking” — paying attention to all the aspects of eating. Not just the food, but the music playing, the way the food is arranged on the plate, the candlelight at dinner. He and his wife, Nancy, always had candlelight at dinner, even when their kids heckled them about it. Guess what their kids do now? They have candlelight at dinner.

Exercise Like Flossing Your Teeth

At 82 years old, Dr. Karp is still going strong. He works out every morning — a routine he’s maintained for 50 years. His wife Nancy, a physical therapist, bikes seven miles every morning, does yoga, and walks for 45 minutes. They reinforce each other.

His analogy for exercise was one I won’t forget: “It’s like flossing your teeth. If you don’t floss, your teeth feel dirty all day. Exercise is the same thing. Once it becomes a habit, if you don’t do it, something is missing from your day.”

Dr. Karp is remarkably transparent about his own health. He comes from a family where most people didn’t live past 60. His brother died of a heart attack while playing soccer with his son at 35 — he refused to take cholesterol medication. His brother’s twin, who took the medication and ate healthily, is still alive in his 70s.

For Dr. Karp, it’s not an either-or situation. You reduce your risk as much as you can through diet and exercise. If that’s not enough — and for him, genetically, it’s not — then you take the medication. But a healthy lifestyle means you need less of it.

The Morning Ritual

Before we wrapped up, I asked Dr. Karp about his daily routine. Turns out, we’re both early risers. He gets up at 4:35. I get up at five.

“I turn on some jazz, read the newspapers on my iPad, make the coffee for my beautiful wife,” he said. Nancy gets up at six, so that hour and a half is his time. Quiet. Writing. Thinking. Beginning the day on his terms.

He also described a moment from the day before — sitting outside in the sun with his fountains going, a bird feeder nearby, chimes gently ringing, hearing the birds. “It was like a Zen moment,” he said.

You could hear the peace in his voice.

Final Thoughts

Dr. William Karp is 82, still writing, performing jazz, teaching, exercising every morning, and still refuses to use the word “retire.” To him, it’s a dirty word.

He’s proof that a Renaissance education — one built on curiosity, breadth, and integration of knowledge — produces remarkable people. The kind of person who can win Teacher of the Year at a medical school and then perform jazz at a rehearsal dinner the same weekend. The kind of person who writes peer-reviewed scientific articles and also runs a Facebook page where regular people can get evidence-based health answers.

Augusta is full of interesting people, and Dr. Karp is certainly one of them. Our conversation went over an hour, and honestly, we could have kept going. He invited me to his jazz performance at River Island on March 6th, and I already put it on my calendar.

If you get the chance, look him up. Whether it’s his writing, his music, or his health advice, Dr. Karp has something to offer everyone. And in a world that’s increasingly specialized, there’s something refreshing about a man who’s done it all — and done it well.

Bill’s Jazz Site
Personal Site

Dr. Karp’s articles, including pieces on vaccines and how to tell if what you’re hearing is science or not, are available as a free e-book on his website. You can also follow his jazz performances on the Bill Karp Jazz Facebook page. His next public event is on March 6th at the River Island Clubhouse in Evans, performing gallery jazz at the Mascaro Art Group exhibit from 5-7 p.m. — with complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.