Stone Alliance

Stone Alliance was a newly formed group of three well-known musicians who organized world tours and new recordings. Stone Alliance was dedicated to the creative force in many styles of music including jazz, Afro-Cuban, rock, and pop. The roots of Stone Alliance began in 1964 when Gene Perla joined the Los Muchachos of Boston, of which Don Alias was a member. Later, in New York City, Gene and Don joined Nina Simone and then Elvin Jones. Through their many "loft" rehearsals, they met saxophonist Steve Grossman and, with him, established the first Stone Alliance. The trio went to Chile for a 15 day U. S. State Department tour that extended into a six month South American adventure. Following a European tour, the group broke up but was soon reformed by Don and Gene. Other members included keyboardists, Mark Gray, Kenny Kirkland, and Kenny Werner, and saxophonists Gerry Bergonzi and Bob Mintzer. After a long hiatus, Stone Alliance came back as a power trio featuring Don, Gene and guitarist Mitch Stein.