Don Alias

Charles "Don" Alias (December 25, 1939 in New York City – March 28, 2006 in New York City) was an American jazz percussionist.

Contents

• Don alias percussion trio jazz baltica 1999
• Interview with percussionist don alias
• As sideman
• References

Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums. He was, however, a capable drum kit performer: for example, Alias played drums on the song "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from trumpeter Miles Davis's album Bitches Brew (1969) when neither Lenny White nor Jack DeJohnette was able to play the marching band-inspired rhythm requested by Davis.

Alias performed on hundreds of recordings and was perhaps best known for his associations with Miles Davis and saxophonist David Sanborn, though he also performed or recorded with the group Weather Report, singer Joni Mitchell, pianist Herbie Hancock, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Nina Simone and many others. Alias was born in New York City and arrived in Boston in the early 1960s intending to study medicine but, after playing congas in a number of local bands, made an abrupt career switch.

As sideman

With Philip Bailey

Soul on Jazz (Heads Up International, 2002)

With Carla Bley

Sextet (Watt, 1986–87)

Fleur Carnivore (Watt, 1988)

The Very Big Carla Bley Band (Watt, 1990)

Looking for America (Watt, 2002)

With Uri Caine

Toys (JMT, 1996)

With Miles Davis

Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970)

On the Corner (Columbia, 1972)

Amandla (Warner Bros., 1989)

Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

With Jack DeJohnette

Oneness (ECM, 1997)

With Joe Farrell

Penny Arcade (CTI, 1973)

With Dan Fogelberg

The Innocent Age (Full Moon, 1981)

With Bill Frisell

Unspeakable (Elektra Nonesuch, 2004)

With Hal Galper

The Guerilla Band (Mainstream, 1971)

With Kenny Garrett

Black Hope (Warner Bros, 1992)

With Herbie Hancock

The New Standard (Veve, 1996)

With Elvin Jones

Merry-Go-Round (Blue Note, 1971)

With Dave Liebman

Sweet Hands (Horizon, 1975)

With Joe Lovano

Tenor Legacy (Blue Note, 1993)

With Joni Mitchell

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (Asylum, 1977)

Mingus (Asylum, 1979)

Shadows and Light (Asylum, 1980)

With Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius (Epic, 1976)

Word of Mouth (Warner Bros., 1980–81)

With Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin

Love Devotion Surrender (Columbia, 1973)

With Lalo Schifrin

Black Widow (CTI, 1976)

With Nina Simone

To Love Somebody (RCA, 1969)

With Steve Swallow

Carla (Xtra Watt, 1987)

Swallow (Xtra Watt, 1991)

With James Taylor

New Moon Shine (Columbia, 1991)

With Weather Report

Weather Report (Columbia, 1971) – uncredited

Black Market (Columbia, 1976)

With Lou Reed

Ecstasy (Sire, 2000)

With Pat Metheny Group

Imaginary Day (Warner, 1997)

With Don Grolnick Group

The Complete London Concert (Fuzzy Music, 2000)

Medianoche (1995)