Chuck Alder

Artist, Composer, Teacher, Student—Chuck Alder has been deeply involved with music since childhood. His parents’ love of music exposed him to a variety of styles—jazz, classical, pop, rock n’ roll (Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis) and R&B (Ray Charles, James Brown and Motown.) He was also hearing jazz sounds which gave him a love of improvisation. Singing solo with his childhood church choir in the Bronx laid the foundation for singing harmony to this day.

At age 12, Chuck got his first guitar, eventually playing in “garage” bands. He was drawn to the way a bass can control the “feel” and complement the melody. By 15, he switched to bass guitar playing with The Uncalled Four, The Arrivals, The Del Sonics and The Creations. With The Del Sonics and The Creations, he met two future members of The Illusion which formed in 1965.

The Illusion released their first album produced by Jeff Barry on “Steed Records” distributed by Paramount. The Illusion recorded three albums and had three hit records including a No. 1 hit in New York, “Did You See Her Eyes?” during the golden years of rock.

In 1967, The Illusion did their first national tour with Mitch Ryder. They toured the country, from the legendary Action House on the east coast to the Whiskey A Go-Go on the west coast. They shared the stage with James Brown, Chicago, The Who, The Animals, the Allman Brothers, Cactus, Sly and the Family Stone and Jimi Hendrix. The Illusion opened for Jimi Hendrix at the Boston Garden in 1970 shortly before Hendrix’ tragic death. They got two encores!

The Illusion appeared on a TV special for the Mamas and the Papas, Bruce Morrow Music Show in NYC and The Barry Richards Show out of Philadelphia. All performances are sought after collectors’ items.

In 1970, Chuck began teaching the bass when friends and Illusion fans requested lessons. Beginning with his time in the Illusion, Chuck’s love of all styles of music led him to study with a variety of bass and music teachers including Carlos Castillos (Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente), Professor Werle (Dean of Mannes Music College), Stanley Clarke (upright and electric) and Mike Hall (bassist for Buddy Rich.)

In 1980, along with former bass student, Mike Frost, and Todd Turkisher on drums, Chuck co-founded The Deep—an unusual trio in that while one bass played melody, chords, and solos, the other bass played support and the roles constantly switched. After performing concerts and coffee houses for 20 years, The Deep released a CD in 2000 of jazz and funk classics. Since Todd, a variety of great drummers have done the gig.

In 1981, Chuck joined the Jerry Ross Orchestra, an exceptional club date band (weddings, parties, corporate functions) that played the most prestigious venues in the New York area—The Plaza, The Waldorf, St. Regis, United Nations Building, Windows on the World, Museum of Natural History—for over 20 years. The band had great players with years of experience and expertise. This is where a musician really hones his skills because he is called upon to play any music at any time.

Teaching bass has been and continues to be a real pleasure, but Chuck’s greatest joy is playing live with a variety of bands—be it Fusion, R&B, Rock, Club Dates, Jazz—blending all types and styles of music. His life is a continuous musical experience—gigs, bands, projects, music directing, recording, and teaching are 24/7 for Chuck and have been for the past 35 years!