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Charles 'Don' Alias (b. December 25, 1939 New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
; d. March 29, 2006 New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz percussionist.

Alias was best known for his skill at conga
Conga

The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums or Sikulu drums commonly played in Mbanza Ngungu, Congo....
s and other hand drum
Hand drum

A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. The simplest type of hand drum is the frame drum, which consists of a shallow, cylinder shell with a drumhead attached to one of the open ends....
s. He was, however, a capable drum kit
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
 performer: Alias played drums on the song "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from Bitches Brew
Bitches Brew

Bitches Brew is a Studio album double album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in June of 1970 on Columbia Records. Recording sessions took place at Columbia's 30th Street Studio over the course of three days in August of 1969....
 (1969) when neither Lenny White
Lenny White

Leonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an United States jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever and being one of the forerunners of jazz-rock/funk....
 nor Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette

Jack DeJohnette is an United States jazz drummer, Piano, and composer. DeJohnette was born in Chicago, Illinois, Illinois. Besides the drums, he studied the piano, which he plays on several recordings....
 was able to capture the marching band rhythm requested by trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
.

Alias performed on hundreds of recordings, and was perhaps best known for his associations with Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
 and saxophonist David Sanborn
David Sanborn

David Sanborn is an United States alto saxophone saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental Pop music and R&B....
, though he also performed or recorded with the group Weather Report
Weather Report

Weather Report was an influential jazz fusion band of the 1970s and early 1980s combining jazz and latin jazz with art music, ethnic music, r&b, funk and Rock music elements ....
, singer Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell, Order of Canada is a Canada musician, songwriter, and Painting.Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Western Canada and then busking on the streets of Toronto....
, pianist Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock

Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is a jazz pianist and composer. He embraces elements of rock and roll and soul music while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz....
, The Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius

John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an United States jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player, as well as his command of varied musical styles including jazz, jazz fusion, funk, and jazz-funk....
 and many others.






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Encyclopedia


Charles 'Don' Alias (b. December 25, 1939 New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
; d. March 29, 2006 New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 jazz percussionist.

Alias was best known for his skill at conga
Conga

The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums or Sikulu drums commonly played in Mbanza Ngungu, Congo....
s and other hand drum
Hand drum

A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. The simplest type of hand drum is the frame drum, which consists of a shallow, cylinder shell with a drumhead attached to one of the open ends....
s. He was, however, a capable drum kit
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
 performer: Alias played drums on the song "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" from Bitches Brew
Bitches Brew

Bitches Brew is a Studio album double album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in June of 1970 on Columbia Records. Recording sessions took place at Columbia's 30th Street Studio over the course of three days in August of 1969....
 (1969) when neither Lenny White
Lenny White

Leonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an United States jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever and being one of the forerunners of jazz-rock/funk....
 nor Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette

Jack DeJohnette is an United States jazz drummer, Piano, and composer. DeJohnette was born in Chicago, Illinois, Illinois. Besides the drums, he studied the piano, which he plays on several recordings....
 was able to capture the marching band rhythm requested by trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
.

Alias performed on hundreds of recordings, and was perhaps best known for his associations with Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
 and saxophonist David Sanborn
David Sanborn

David Sanborn is an United States alto saxophone saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental Pop music and R&B....
, though he also performed or recorded with the group Weather Report
Weather Report

Weather Report was an influential jazz fusion band of the 1970s and early 1980s combining jazz and latin jazz with art music, ethnic music, r&b, funk and Rock music elements ....
, singer Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell, Order of Canada is a Canada musician, songwriter, and Painting.Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Western Canada and then busking on the streets of Toronto....
, pianist Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock

Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is a jazz pianist and composer. He embraces elements of rock and roll and soul music while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz....
, The Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius

John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an United States jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player, as well as his command of varied musical styles including jazz, jazz fusion, funk, and jazz-funk....
 and many others. It's a little known fact that West Indian born Alias arrived in Boston in the early 1960's intending to study medicine but after playing congas in a number of local bands make an abrupt career switch. Medicine's loss was music's gain.

External links

  • An interview: