Don Alias

Charles "Don" Alias (December 25, 1939 – March 28, 2006) 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 (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 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 With Cheryl Bentyne With Carla Bley With Blood, Sweat & Tears With Jonathan Butler With Uri Caine With David Clayton-Thomas With Marc Cohn With Miles Davis With Jack DeJohnette With Klaus Doldinger With Eliane Elias With Joe Farrell With Roberta Flack With Dan Fogelberg With Michael Franks With Bill Frisell With Hal Galper With Kenny Garrett With Don Grolnick Group With Herbie Hancock With Ian Hunter With Elvin Jones With Dave Liebman With Joe Lovano With Pat Metheny Group With Bob Mintzer With Joni Mitchell With Jane Monheit With Pages With Jaco Pastorius With Weather Report With Lou Reed With Sanne Salomonsen '''With Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin With Lalo Schifrin With Marlena Shaw With Nina Simone With Jeremy Steig With Ira Sullivan With Steve Swallow With James Taylor With The Tony Williams Lifetime
 * Soul on Jazz (Heads Up International, 2002)
 * Talk of The Town (Paddle Wheel, 2002)
 * The Lights Still Burn (Paddle Wheel, 2003)
 * Moonlight Serenade (King, 2003)
 * The Book of Love (Telarc, 2006)
 * Sextet (Watt, 1987)
 * Fleur Carnivore (Watt, 1988)
 * The Very Big Carla Bley Band (Watt, 1990)
 * Looking for America (Watt, 2002)
 * More Than Ever (Columbia, 1976)
 * Heal Our Hand (Jive, 1990)
 * Head to Head (Mercury, 1993)
 * Toys (JMT, 1996)
 * Bloodlines (DCT, 1999)
 * Marc Cohn (Atlantic, 1991)
 * 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)
 * Oneness (ECM, 1997)
 * Doldinger in New York – Street of Dreams (WEA, 1994)
 * So Far So Close (Blue Note, 1989)
 * Penny Arcade (CTI, 1973)
 * Oasis (Atlantic, 1988)
 * The Christmas Album (Capitol, 1997)
 * The Innocent Age (Full Moon, 1981)
 * Abandoned Garden (Warner Bros., 1995)
 * Unspeakable (Elektra Nonesuch, 2004)
 * The Guerilla Band (Mainstream, 1971)
 * Black Hope (Warner Bros, 1992)
 * Medianoche (Warner Bros., 1995)
 * The Complete London Concert (Fuzzy Music, 2000)
 * The New Standard (Verve, 1996)
 * All American Alien Boy (Columbia, 1976)
 * Merry-Go-Round (Blue Note, 1971)
 * Sweet Hands (Horizon, 1975)
 * Tenor Legacy (Blue Note, 1993)
 * Imaginary Day (Warner, 1997)
 * One Music (DMP, 1991)
 * Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (Asylum, 1977)
 * Mingus (Asylum, 1979)
 * Shadows and Light (Asylum, 1980)
 * In the Sun (N-Coded, 2002)
 * Future Street (Epic, 1979)
 * Jaco Pastorius (Epic, 1976)
 * Word of Mouth (Warner Bros., 1981)
 * Weather Report (Columbia, 1971) – uncredited
 * Black Market (Columbia, 1976)
 * Ecstasy (Sire, 2000)
 * In a New York Minute (Virgin, 1998)
 * Love Devotion Surrender (Columbia, 1973)
 * Black Widow (CTI, 1976)
 * Love is in Flight (Verve, 1988)
 * To Love Somebody (RCA, 1969)
 * Legwork (Solid State, 1970)
 * Wayfaring Stranger (Blue Note, 1971)
 * Energy (Capitol, 1971)
 * Fusion (Groove Merchant, 1972)
 * Ira Sullivan (Horizon, 1976)
 * Carla (Xtra Watt, 1987)
 * Swallow (Xtra Watt, 1991)
 * New Moon Shine (Columbia, 1991)
 * Ego (Polydor, 1971)