Ralph MacDonald

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ralph MacDonald
percussion
  • keyboards

    • Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011)

    musical arranger, and record producer
    .

    His compositions include "Where Is the Love", a Grammy Award winner for the duet of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway; "Just the Two of Us", recorded by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.; and "Mister Magic" recorded by Grover Washington Jr.

    Career

    MacDonald's 1984 single "(It's) the Game" appeared on his album Universal Rhythm.

    Growing up in

    Trinbagonian father, Patrick MacDonald (a calypsonian and bandleader originally from Trinidad and Tobago who used the stage name "Macbeth the Great"), MacDonald began showing his musical talent, particularly with the steelpan, and when he was 17 years old started playing pan for the Harry Belafonte show.[2]

    He remained with the Belafonte band for a decade before deciding to strike out on his own.[2] In 1967, together with Bill Eaton and William Salter, he formed Antisia Music Incorporated. Antisia is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

    In 1971,

    Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The single was awarded gold status and sold more than one million copies.[3] MacDonald played on the session for the song.[4]

    He performanced on

    Grover Washington, Jr. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since been covered and sampled by many artists, including Will Smith
    .

    As a solo recording artist, MacDonald scored a massive disco hit with “Calypso Breakdown”, recorded for the TK Records imprint, Marlin Records. It was also featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

    Later life

    MacDonald regularly travelled back to Trinidad and Tobago, where he renewed his work in the steelpan, particularly on the hills of Laventille, Trinidad with the multiple Steelband Panorama champions Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, whose shows he attended and with whom he played whenever he got the opportunity, "beating iron" in "The Engine Room" (as a steelband's rhythm section is often called). Calypso and the steelpan were Ralph MacDonald's roots. He recorded a song called "You Need More Calypso", written by William Eaton to articulate how he felt the music world could more benefit by the genre his homeland had given to the world.

    On December 18, 2011, MacDonald died of lung cancer. His wife, Grace, and four children Jovonni, Anthony, Atiba and Nefra-Ann survive him. MacDonald was cremated, with his ashes buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. [6][1][7]

    Discography

    His recording collaborations number in the hundreds and include

    The Average White Band, Hall & Oates, The Brothers Johnson, and he spent years as a charter member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band
    .

    He is also featured on percussion on

    Thoroughbred, and on Looking Glass's 1973 album Subway Serenade
    .

    His song "Jam on the Groove" was featured on the

    Grover Washington, Jr.

    MacDonald also appears on

    Amy Lee
    's CD Use Me.

    As leader

    • Sound of a Drum (Marlin, 1976)
    • The Path (Marlin, 1978)
    • Counterpoint (Marlin, 1979)
    • Universal Rhythm (Polydor, 1984)
    • Surprize (Polydor, 1985)
    • Reunion (Videoarts Music, 1995)
    • Port Pleasure (1998)
    • Trippin' (2000)
    • Home Grown (2003)
    • Just the Two of Us (2004)
    • Mixty Motions (2008)

    As sideman

    With Peter Allen

    With Patti Austin

    With Gato Barbieri

    • Caliente (A&M Records, 1976, 1986, CD 3247)

    With Bee Gees

    With George Benson

    With Blood, Sweat & Tears

    With David Bowie

    With Martin Briley

    With The Brecker Brothers

    With The Brothers Johnson

    With Jimmy Buffett

    • Floridays (MCA Records, 1986)
    • Hot Water
       (MCA Records, 1988)
    • Beach House on the Moon (Island Records, 1999)
    • Take the Weather With You
       (RCA Records, 2006, 88697-00332-2)

    With Kenny Burrell and Grover Washington Jr.

    With Jonathan Butler

    • Jonathan Butler (Jive, 1987)

    With Ron Carter

    With Merry Clayton

    • Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (Ode, 1975)

    With Judy Collins

    With Randy Crawford

    With Jackie DeShannon

    With Paul Desmond

    With Yvonne Elliman

    With Little Feat

    With Roberta Flack

    With Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

    With Aretha Franklin

    With Michael Franks

    With Glenn Frey

    With Art Garfunkel

    With Barry Goldberg

    • Barry Goldberg (Atco Records, 1974)

    With Lesley Gore

    • Love Me By Name (A&M, 1976)

    With Hall & Oates

    With Tim Hardin

    With Donny Hathaway

    With Lena Horne

    With Bob James

    With Bob James and Earl Klugh

    With Milt Jackson

    With Al Jarreau

    • Glow (Reprise, 1976)

    With Garland Jeffreys

    With Billy Joel

    With Dr. John

    With Margie Joseph

    • Margie Joseph (Atlantic, 1973)
    • Sweet Surrender (Atlantic, 1974)
    • Margie (Atlantic, 1975)

    With Eric Kaz

    • If You're Lonely (Atlantic Records, 1972)

    With Carole King

    With Morgana King

    • New Beginnings (Paramount Records, 1973)

    With Hubert Laws

    With Donal Leace

    • Donal Leace (Atlantic Records, 1972)

    With Julian Lennon

    With O'Donel Levy

    With Kenny Loggins

    With Jon Lucien

    • Mind's Eye (RCA, 1974)
    • Premonition (Columbia, 1976)

    With Elliot Lurie

    • Elliot Lurie (Epic Records, 1975)

    With Taj Mahal

    • Taj (Gramavision, 1987)

    With Junior Mance

    With Herbie Mann

    • Discotheque (Atlantic, 1975)
    • Brazil Once Again (Atlantic, 1978)

    With Arif Mardin

    With Esther Marrow

    • Sister Woman (Fantasy, 1972)

    With Mac McAnally

    • Semi-True Stories (Mailboat Records, 2004)

    With Gene McDaniels

    • Natural Juices (Ode, 1975)

    With Don McLean

    With Bette Midler

    With Melba Moore

    With The Neville Brothers

    With David "Fathead" Newman

    With Laura Nyro

    With Teddy Pendergrass

    With Esther Phillips

    • Alone Again, Naturally (Kudu, 1972)
    • Performance (Kudu, 1974)
    • Capricorn Princess (Kudu, 1976)
    • What a Diff'rence a Day Makes (Kudu, 1976)
    • For All We Know (Kudu, 1976)

    With John Prine

    With Bernard Purdie

    With Bonnie Raitt

    With The Rascals

    With Leon Redbone

    With Martha Reeves

    • Martha Reeves (MCA Records, 1974)

    With Lionel Richie

    With Max Roach

    With Diana Ross

    With David Ruffin

    With David Sanborn

    With Shirley Scott

    With Don Sebesky

    With Janis Siegel

    • Experiment in White (Atlantic Records, 1982)

    With Carly Simon

    With Paul Simon

    With Phoebe Snow

    With Splinter

    • Harder to Live (Dark Horse, 1975)

    With Steely Dan

    With Gábor Szabó

    With James Taylor

    With Kate Taylor

    With The Manhattan Transfer

    With Kenny Vance

    • Vance 32 (Atlantic, 1975)

    With Grover Washington Jr.

    With Mary Lou Williams

    • Mary Lou's Mass (Mary Records, 1975)

    With Cris Williamson

    • Cris Williamson (Ampex Records, 1971)

    With Bill Withers

    With Zulema

    • Zulema (Sussex, 1972)

    References

    1. ^ a b Vitello, Paul (20 December 2011). "Ralph MacDonald, Pop Percussionist, Dies at 67". The New York Times. p. B11.
    2. ^
      ISBN 0-85112-939-0
      .
    3. ^ "Ralph MacDonald". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
    4. ^ Ed Hogan. "Where Is the Love? - Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
    5. ^ "Ralph MacDonald Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
    6. ^ "Ralph MacDonald:Home Page". Ralphmacdonald.com. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
    7. ^ "WITCO Desperadoes Mourns the Passing of Ralph MacDonald". Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. Retrieved 25 November 2014.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_MacDonald&oldid=1217169695"