Drums with Alphonse M.

TENACIOUS RECORDS/MUSIC COMPANY

Chairman/CEO of Tenacious Records, composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist and actor Alphonse has been composing and producing beautiful music that has captivated and enthralled audiences throughout the world for over two decades. ALPHONSE (who is an African American mixed with French and Blackfoot Indian) was born on November 21st in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended Bonds-Wilson High School where he received his early musical training under the direction of saxophonist high school music teacher Lonnie Hamilton III, and took some drum lessons from Charles Garner before playing gigs with the Lonnie Hamilton Band. Following graduation from high school, he moved to New York to study music and drama at New York City College and medicine at Manhattan Medical School. Alphonse took drum lessons from jazz pianist Billy Taylor's drummer Bobby Thomas. While attending college, Alphonse played in the pit band of the Broadway show "PROMISES, PROMISES" after being recommended by Bobby Thomas. Alphonse also worked as a medical technologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital after graduating from Manhattan Medical School. However his medical career was short lived. By 1969 his reputation as a player had spread to such an extent that a medical career was no longer attractive. By the early seventies, he had embarked upon a musical journey that would take him to almost every corner of the world and would establish his reputation as one the most creative musician of the era. In 1975 Alphonse studied acting at The Lee Strausberg Institute for Actors in Hollywood, California. In 1997 he studied acting with Susan Ricketts and in 1998 Alphonse studied advance voice-overs with Don Pitts at California State University of Northridge. ALPHONSE musical associations read like a veritable Who's Who of Modern Jazz and Pop Music. His talents cover a broad range of musical disciplines and philosophies. He was the rhythmic foundation for the far reaching musical explorations of pianist McCoy Tyner. He was a charter member along with keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, of the group Weather Report. Along with guitarist Larry Coryell, Alphonse was co-founder of The Eleventh House, the seminal fusion band of the seventies. Alphonse and Coryell still tour together in a trio and with the Eleventh House. ALPHONSE has also played and/or recorded with Gil Evans, Roy Ayers, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola, Les McCann, Ronnie Laws, Klaus Doldinger's Passport, Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Nathan East, Cecil McBee, Albert Mangelsdorff, Joachim Kuhn, Jasper van't Hof, Michel Legrand, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Donald Bird, Chet Baker, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Ernie Watts, Sonny Rollins, Wallace Roney, Arturo Sandoval, Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, George Coleman, John Klemmer, Billy Harper, Dave Grusin, Russ Freeman, George Howard, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Kenny G., Joanne Brackeen, Horace Parlan, Robin Kenyatta, Ross Carnegie Orchestra, ex-grilfriend Roberta Flack, Sheila E., Celia Cruz, Gloria Lynn, Gloria Coleman, Denise Williams, Freda Payne, Shirley Scott, Anita O'Day, Betty Davis, and in 1991, he performed with Miles Davis on the movie soundtrack album entitled "Dingo". MILES DAVIS even spoke highly of Alphonse in his book entitled "Miles - The Autobiography". Alphonse has also played with and helped the early careers of Lee Ritenour, David Beniot, Gerald Albright, Sam Riney, Brandon Fields, Greg Karukas, Dave Koz, and Richard Elliot. Alphonse rock/pop credentials include gigs with no less respectable a crew than Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Patrick Moraz, Tommy Bolin and Chubby Checker. ROBERT PLANT, lead singer for the legendary rock group LED ZEPPELIN, named ALPHONSE , during his acceptance speech for induction into the 1995 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, one of the band's major influences . Besides radio, Alphonse music has been aired on CBS, NBC and ABC's Daytime Television Soap Operas - "ALL MY CHILDREN", "ANOTHER WORLD", "AS THE WORLD TURNS", "DAYS OF OUR LIVES", "ONE LIFE TO LIVE", "LOVING", "GENERAL HOSPITAL", "GENERATIONS", "SANTA BARBARA", "THE GUIDING LIGHT", "SUNSET BEACH", "PASSIONS", and CBS SPORTS, "LIFE STYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS", "RUNAWAY WITH THE RICH AND FAMOUS", "LEEZA", "HARD COPY", "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT", and many more! Alphonse name can be found in just about every Jazz Encyclopedia/ Dictionary, and is listed the 2nd edition of Marquis Who's Who In Entertainment and Who's Who In The World. Alphonse was voted the #2 BEST MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST in the 1995 Jazziz Magazine Annual Readers Poll. In 1992, Alphonse formed TENACIOUS RECORDS and in 1992, released his TOP TEN CD entitled "THE SURVIVOR". Subsequent releases on Tenacious Records "ON TOP OF THE WORLD", "EARLY SPRING", "BY ALL MEANS", "LOVE FANTASY", "BACK TO JAZZ", "AS YOU WISH", "THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG", "THE SKY IS THE LIMIT", "DISTANT LOVER", "MORNING SUN" , and "ABSOLUTE GREATEST LOVE SONGS & BALLADS" "LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD", "JAZZ IN BEL-AIR" were NUMBER ONE, TOP TEN, or TOP TWENTY CDs. “ANGEL FACE” is the new all-star straight-ahead CD from Alphonse featuring Arturo Sandoval, Wallace Roney, Shunzo Ohno, Bob Mintzer, Ernie Watts, Don Menza, Antoine Roney, Charles Owens, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Henry “ The Skipper” Franklin, Darek Oleszskiewicz, Emma Alexandra and composer/arranger/drummer Alphonse, who also plays piano and trumpet on the ANGEL FACE” CD/Album. At present, Alphonse performs in Europe and in the U.S. with his trio, quartet, or quintet and as a featured guest artist with other groups. ALPHONSE also teaches drums at THE ALPHONSE M. INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE DRUM SCHOOL in Northridge, CA. Tel: 818-368-6479. See ALPHONSE along with actor TOM HANKS in the 1996 film "THAT THING YOU DO". ALPHONSE is acting and playing drums. He also composed the music score for the Blue Spot jazz club scene, in which he plays a smoking drums solo. The acoustic piano melody and solo on "Blue Spot" were also performed (off camera) by Alphonse . Alphonse music can be heard on the soundtrack for the 1997 film by actress Tisha Campbell called SPRUNG. ALPHONSE can also be seen in a 2004 movie with Michael Keaton, Margaret Collins, and Katie Holmes called "FIRST DAUGHTER". ALPHONSE composed the original music score for the brilliant short film by former jazz critic and now writer/director Dan Margules called BEGLEITER. Alphonse acted in the 2009 feature film by actor/director Robert Davi and Chazz Palminteri called THE DUKES. Alphonse and his kids released on 2010, a jazz-funk / hip-hop CD call entitled “ THE MAIN ATTRACTION” by his oldest son/Rapper Alphonse (aka Alphonse Philippe (Lethal Weapon) featuring ALPHONSE on drums, trumpet, keyboards, bass, guitars along with his daughter pop singer Emma Alexandra and Filipino pop singer Sharon T. Alphonse, Sr. will producing Jazz, Pop /Dance CDs for his 15 year-old academically & musically gifted daughter - Painter/Actress,/Singer/Violinist/Pianist/Guitarist Emma Alexandra , and a hip-hop/rap CDs for his youngest son Rapper and U.S. Coast Guardsman Jean-Pierre (aka GRIZZLY) on Tenacious Records. Alphonse is a Christian and always has been a believer in Christ and the Almighty, Omnipotent God! Alphonse is a Prostate Cancer survivor who recommends that every man over 35 years old have a PSA blood test done to make sure cancer is not present. Early detection is a lifesaver! Alphonse's motto is "Veracity and Integrity are Virtues". Keep the faith!

School of Carlos Santana, Miles Davis, Weather Report, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell's Eleventh House

MODERN DRUMMER

#4 Top Jazz Drummer in The 2010 Modern Drummer Poll

Morden Drummer

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 480,000 US composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers. The ASCAP is committed to nurturing music makers throughout their careers.

Native Proficiency