Don Alias


Charles "Don" Alias was an American jazz percussionist.
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 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.

Discography

As sideman

With Philip Bailey
With Carla Bley
With Marlena Shaw
With Marc Cohn
With Uri Caine
With Lou Reed
With Miles Davis
With Bob Mintzer
  • One Music
With Roberta Flack
  • Oasis
With Jack DeJohnette
  • Oneness
With Michael Franks
  • Abandoned Garden
With Joe Farrell
  • Penny Arcade
With Dan Fogelberg
With Bill Frisell
  • Unspeakable
With Hal Galper
  • The Guerilla Band
With Kenny Garrett
  • Black Hope
With Herbie Hancock
With Elvin Jones
  • Merry-Go-Round
With Dave Liebman
  • Sweet Hands
With Joe Lovano
  • Tenor Legacy
With Joni Mitchell
  • Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
  • Mingus
With Jaco Pastorius
  • Jaco Pastorius
  • Word of Mouth
With Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin
With Lalo Schifrin
With Nina Simone
With Jeremy Steig
With Ira Sullivan
With Steve Swallow
With James Taylor
With Weather Report
With Lou Reed
With Pat Metheny Group
With Don Grolnick Group
With Eliane Elias