Don Alias – Biography, Discography & Instruments

Biography

Don Alias was a jazz musician who played drum kit and percussion instrument. Don Alias was born on 25 December 1939 in New York City and died on 28 March 2006 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz and post-bop.

Charles "Don" Alias (ah-LIE-ahs; December 25, 1939 – March 28, 2006) was an American jazz percussionist. Alias was best known for playing congas and other hand drums. He was also a capable drum kit performer. He 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. He also played drums and percussion on the Joni Mitchell live album Shadows and Light. Alias performed on hundreds of recordings and was best known for his associations with Miles Davis and saxophonist David Sanborn. He also performed and recorded with artists such as Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Nina Simone, and many others.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Also plays on

Albums where Don Alias is credited as a sideman

1969	To Love Somebody — Nina Simone	drums (drum set), percussion
1970	Bitches Brew — Miles Davis	congas, drums (drum set)
1972	Merry-Go-Round — Elvin Jones	congas, bell
1973	Love Devotion Surrender — Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin	drums (drum set)
1974	Lookout Farm — Dave Liebman	percussion
1974	Upon This Rock — Joe Farrell	congas
1975	Sweet Hands — David Liebman	percussion
1976	My Spanish Heart — Chick Corea	percussion
1976	Jaco Pastorius — Jaco Pastorius	congas, bell, bongos, percussion, goblet drum
1976	Black Market — Weather Report	congas, percussion
1976	Ira Sullivan — Ira Sullivan	congas
1977	Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter — Joni Mitchell	bongos, claves, congas, vocals, snare drum, shakers
1977	Miroslav — Miroslav Vitouš	membranophone, percussion
1979	Mingus — Joni Mitchell	congas
1980	Shadows and Light — Joni Mitchell	drums (drum set), congas
1980	Crystal Bells — Charlie Mariano	percussion
1980	What It Is — David Liebman	percussion
1980	Ya yo me curé — Jerry Gonzalez	drums (drum set)
1981	Word of Mouth — Jaco Pastorius	percussion
1981	Straphangin' — The Brecker Brothers	percussion
1981	Double Rainbow — 日野皓正	congas, percussion
1982	Touchstone — Chick Corea	Batá drum, bongos, congas
1982	Pyramid — 日野皓正	bongos, percussion
1986	Blue Matter — John Scofield	percussion
1987	Sextet — Carla Bley	percussion
1987	Hideaway — David Sanborn	percussion
1988	Close‐Up — David Sanborn	percussion
1988	Loud Jazz — John Scofield	percussion
1989	Amandla — Miles Davis	percussion
1989	So Far So Close — Eliane Elias	percussion