Charles "Don" Alias (ah-LIE-ahs; December 25, 1939 – March 28, 2006) He studied piano and guitar as a boy but turned to percussion, learning from the rhythms he learned on New York's streets and the one-on-one lessons with the percussionist Mongo Santamaria. The group also included saxophonist Steve Grossman, mainly centering on jazz, Afro-Cuban, rock, and pop music. In 1976, the trio began a 15-day tour in Chile, launched through the US State Department Jazz Diplomacy program. The initial leg, with 10 locations in Chile, extended into a 6-month tour with stops in Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
The group totaled two South American tours, four European tours, and two Canada tours. The band recorded four studio albums between 1976 and 1980, with live albums from Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Bremen. After a 13-year hiatus, the group returned as a power trio with guitarist Mitch Stein playing two notable shows in New York City.
Work with Miles Davis, David Sanborn and others
thumb|Charles "Don" Alias playing alongside Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Michael Henderson, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Gary Bartz, and James Forman.
His work with Nina Simone caught the eye of Miles Davis, who recruited him to play trap-set drums on Bitches Brew. Alias played alongside Jack DeJohnette utilizing a "lean and loose" syncopation that channel inspiration from New Orleans parade tunes.
Alias' most prominent work was with saxophonist David Sanborn, for whom he worked as a stage and studio member for nearly 20 years. During these sessions and beyond, he paid careful attention to detail and had a dedication to the improvement of every member of the group. Sanborn remarked that Alias would consistently come to sessions offering specific improvements based on the previous day's work. Sanborn added that "[Alias] immersed himself 100 percent in the music, and he gave his all to the music."
Death
Just before a planned tour with David Sanborn, Alias died at his home on March 28, 2006, at age 66.