Sunday Jazz January Duos featuring Michael Jefry Stevens and Don Aliquo
Sunday, January 15, 2012, 12:00pm - 02:30pm
Sunday January 15th
Sunday Jazz at BrunchTime January Duo's
Featuring Michael Jefry Stevens, Piano and Don Aliquo, Saxophone
Tickets $8 cash at the door
Don Aliquo has been described as a saxophonist with a “fluid and articulate flow of always surprising
ideas, sophisticated with a dexterous technique and an incredibly smooth tenor sound that seduces
rather than shouts.” Although Aliquo’s early influences are tenor saxophonists like John Coltrane,
Stanley Turrentine and George Coleman, his recent recorded output also displays his later Lester Young,
Stan Getz and Joe Henderson influences as well.
His latest CD, entitled SUN & SHIELD features veteran jazz masters Rufus Reid, bass, Jim McNeely, piano
and the dynamic drummer Obed Calvaire. Recorded in June 2010, the work features the quartet in a set
of originals written mainly by Aliquo with a tune each by Reid and McNeely. The album also introduces
Aliquo’s work as a jazz clarinetist, an often over-looked instrument with deep jazz roots.
Aliquo began his career in jazz-rich Pittsburgh, where he grew up listening to and learning from the city’s
jazz legends. Following in the footsteps of his father, a well-respected jazz artist himself, Don spent his
formative years performing with many of the region’s greats including Joe Harris, Danny Conn, David
Budway, and John Wilson.
His musical development continued at the Berklee College of Music, where he played in the
International Dues Band directed by Phil Wilson. Joe Viola, Ed Tomasi and John La Porta were
instrumental in his artistic growth at Berklee. Don’s early professional career also included tours as lead
alto with the Tommy Dorsey Band directed by Buddy Morrow, and for a brief interlude as baritone
saxophonist with the legendary drummer Buddy Rich. He also toured extensively with the East Coast
R & B group, Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, recording, writing horn arrangements, and performing as a soloist.
After these expanding and maturing experiences, Don’s career took two crucial turns. He began
performing and recording with Roger Humphries, the legendary Horace Silver drummer, while furthering
his musical development at Duquesne University. Under the direction of John “Doc” Wilson, Don
completed a master’s degree in performance summa cum laude, discovered a love for teaching as a
graduate teaching assistant, and earned multiple honors and awards.
During his collaboration with Humphries, he composed the title cut for the recording, THIS and THAT,
and performed on A NEW HOME, a live CD recording and produced by the Manchester Craftsmen’s
Guild. Throughout those years, he jammed with many of Pittsburgh’s legendary artists such as Stanley
Turrentine and George Benson.
Don continued to expand artistically and professionally, forming his own group focused on performing
his original compositions. Along with bassist Dave LaRocca, drummer Greg Humphries, and guitarist Eric
Susoeff, he recorded two critically acclaimed CDs, as well developing an instrumental program at The
Ellis School and teaching at Duquesne University.
