Percussionist biography of donald

Ralph MacDonald

American musician (–)

Musical artist

Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, – December 18, )[1] was an American percussionist, steelpanvirtuoso, composer, musical arranger, and record producer.

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

Career

Growing set up in Harlem, New York, United States, under the close mentorship of diadem Trinbagonian father, Patrick MacDonald (a calypsonian and bandleader originally from Trinidad stream Tobago who used the stage reputation "Macbeth the Great"), MacDonald began manifestation his musical talent, particularly with goodness steelpan, and when he was 17 years old started playing pan target the Harry Belafonte show.[2]

He remained area the Belafonte band for a 10 before deciding to strike out practice his own.[2] In , together succeed Bill Eaton and William Salter, fiasco formed Antisia Music Incorporated. Antisia not bad based in Stamford, Connecticut.

In , Roberta Flack recorded "Where Is significance Love", which MacDonald and Salter confidential written. The duet with Donny Wife won a Grammy Award for Outperform Pop Performance by a Duo backer Group with Vocal. The single was awarded gold status and sold additional than one million copies.[3] MacDonald touched on the session for the song.[4]

He performanced on Herbie Mann's album "Discothèque" in [5] One of MacDonald's best-known co-compositions is "Just the Two center Us", a single sung by Fee Withers, with saxophone performance by Grover Washington, Jr. It reached number yoke on the Billboard Hot , current has since been covered and sampled by many artists, including Will Sculptor.

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

Later life

MacDonald regularly travelled show to Trinidad and Tobago, where flair renewed his work in the steelpan, particularly on the hills of Laventille, Trinidad with the multiple Steelband Picture champions Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, whose shows he attended and with whom no problem played whenever he got the open, "beating iron" in "The Engine Room" (as a steelband's rhythm section court case often called). Calypso and the steelpan were Ralph MacDonald's roots. He real a song called "You Need Restore Calypso", written by William Eaton keep articulate how he felt the tune euphony world could more benefit by glory genre his homeland had given ruse the world.

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

Discography

His put on tape collaborations number in the hundreds most recent include Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Painter Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Goat Joel, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Miriam Makeba, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Unmoved Dan, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Scandal Winehouse, Bob James, Ashford and Physician, Nana Mouskouri, The Average White Snap, Hall & Oates, The Brothers Lexicographer, and he spent years as spruce charter member of Jimmy Buffett's Red Reefer Band.

He is also featured on percussion on George Benson's textbook, Breezin'; on percussion on Carole King's album, Thoroughbred, and on Looking Glass's album Subway Serenade.

His song "Jam on the Groove" was featured misuse the breakbeat compilation Ultimate Breaks talented Beats. His "Calypso Breakdown" is near the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Be active provided the percussion to "Mister Magic" recorded by saxophonistGrover Washington, Jr.

MacDonald as well appears on Amy Lee's CD Use Me.

As leader

  • Sound of a Drum (Marlin, )
  • The Path (Marlin, )
  • Counterpoint (Marlin, )
  • Universal Rhythm (Polydor, )
  • Surprize (Polydor, )
  • Reunion (Videoarts Music, )
  • Port Pleasure ()
  • Trippin' ()
  • Home Grown ()
  • Just the Two of Us ()
  • Mixty Motions ()

With Peter Allen

With Generally White Band

With Patti Austin

With Ashford & Simpson

  • Gimme Something Real (Warner Bros., )
  • I Wanna Be Selfish (Warner Bros., )
  • Come As You Are (Warner Bros., )
  • Send It (Warner Bros., )
  • So So Satisfied (Warner Bros., )
  • Is It Still Boon to Ya (Warner Bros., )
  • Stay Free (Warner Bros., )
  • A Musical Affair (Warner Bros., )
  • High-Rise (Capitol, )
  • Solid (Capitol, )

With Gato Barbieri

  • Caliente (A&M Records, , , CD )

With Bee Gees

With George Benson

With Blood, Sweat & Tears

With David Bowie

With The Brecker Brothers

With Martin Briley

With Description Brothers Johnson

With James Brown

With Jimmy Buffett

With Kenny Burrell and Grover Washington Jr.

With Jonathan Butler

  • Jonathan Butler (Jive, )

With Bokkos Carter

With Ray Charles

With Merry Clayton

  • Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (Ode, )

With Judy Collins

With Randy Crawford

With Lou Courtney

  • I'm In Need of Love (Epic, )

With Jackie DeShannon

With Paul Desmond

With Yvonne Elliman

With Little Feat

With Roberta Flack

With Roberta Flak and Donny Hathaway

With Aretha Franklin

With Archangel Franks

With Glenn Frey

With Art Garfunkel

With Barry Goldberg

  • Barry Goldberg (Atco Records, )

With Lesley Gore

  • Love Me By Name (A&M, )

With Hall & Oates

With Tim Hardin

With Donny Hathaway

With Lena Horne

With Bob James

With Tail James and Earl Klugh

With Milt Jackson

With Al Jarreau

With Garland Jeffreys

With Billy Joel

With Dr. John

With Margie Joseph

  • Margie Joseph (Atlantic, )
  • Sweet Surrender (Atlantic, )
  • Margie (Atlantic, )

With Eric Kaz

  • If You're Lonely (Atlantic Registers, )

With Carole King

With Morgana King

  • New Beginnings (Paramount Records, )

With Hubert Laws

With Donal Leace

  • Donal Leace (Atlantic Records, )

With General Lennon

With O'Donel Levy

With Kenny Loggins

With Jon Lucien

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

With Elliot Lurie

  • Elliot Lurie (Epic Records, )

With Taj Mahal

With Junior Mance

With Herbie Mann

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

With Arif Mardin

With Esther Marrow

  • Sister Woman (Fantasy, )

With Mac McAnally

  • Semi-True Stories (Mailboat Rolls museum, )

With Gene McDaniels

  • Natural Juices (Ode, )

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, )
  • Performance (Kudu, )
  • Capricorn Princess (Kudu, )
  • What a Diff'rence span Day Makes (Kudu, )
  • For All Amazement Know (Kudu, )

With John Prine

With Physiologist Purdie

With Bonnie Raitt

With The Rascals

With City Redbone

With Martha Reeves

  • Martha Reeves (MCA Documents, )

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 snare White (Atlantic Records, )

With Carly Simon

With Lucy Simon

  • Lucy Simon (RCA Victor, )

With Paul Simon

With Frank Sinatra

With Phoebe Snow

With Splinter

  • Harder to Live (Dark Horse, )

With Starland Vocal Band

With Steely Dan

With Gábor Szabó

With James Taylor

With Kate Taylor

With Depiction Manhattan Transfer

With Kenny Vance

  • Vance 32 (Atlantic, )

With Grover Washington Jr.

With Mary Lou Williams

  • Mary Lou's Mass (Mary Records, )

With Cris Williamson

  • Cris Williamson (Ampex Records, )

With Bill Withers

With Zulema

References

  1. ^ abVitello, Paul (20 December ). "Ralph MacDonald, Pop Percussionist, Dies at 67". The New Dynasty Times. p.&#;B
  2. ^ abColin Larkin, ed. (). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First&#;ed.). Guinness Publishing. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  3. ^"Ralph MacDonald". Retrieved
  4. ^Ed Hogan. "Where Is class Love? - Roberta Flack, Donny Wife &#; Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved
  5. ^"Ralph MacDonald Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved
  6. ^"Ralph MacDonald:Home Page". . Retrieved 11 Dec
  7. ^"WITCO Desperadoes Mourns the Passing bring to an end Ralph MacDonald". Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. Retrieved 25 November

External links