Ralph MacDonald
Background information
Birth nameRalph Anthony MacDonald
Born(1944-03-15)March 15, 1944
Harlem, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 18, 2011(2011-12-18) (aged 67)
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)

Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011)[1] was an American percussionist, steelpan virtuoso, songwriter, 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 Harlem, New York, United States, under the close mentorship of his 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, Roberta Flack recorded "Where Is the Love", which MacDonald and Salter had written. The duet with Donny Hathaway won a 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 Herbie Mann's album "Discothèque" in 1975.[5] One of MacDonald's best-known co-compositions is "Just the Two of Us", a single sung by Bill Withers, with saxophone performance by 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 Burt Bacharach, George Benson, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Miriam Makeba, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Amy Winehouse, Bob James, Ashford and Simpson, Nana Mouskouri, 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 George Benson's 1976 album, Breezin'; on percussion on Carole King's 1975 album, Thoroughbred, and on Looking Glass's 1973 album Subway Serenade.

His song "Jam on the Groove" was featured on the breakbeat compilation Ultimate Breaks and Beats. His "Calypso Breakdown" is on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. He provided the percussion to "Mister Magic" recorded by saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.

MacDonald also appears on Amy Lee's CD Use Me.

As leader

As sideman

With Peter Allen

With Patti Austin

With Gato Barbieri

With Bee Gees

With George Benson

With Blood, Sweat & Tears

With David Bowie

With Martin Briley

With The Brothers Johnson

With Jimmy Buffett

With Kenny Burrell and Grover Washington Jr.

With Jonathan Butler

With Ron Carter

With Merry Clayton

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

With Lesley Gore

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

With Garland Jeffreys

With Billy Joel

With Dr. John

With Margie Joseph

With Eric Kaz

With Carole King

With Morgana King

With Hubert Laws

With Donal Leace

With Julian Lennon

With O'Donel Levy

With Kenny Loggins

With Jon Lucien

With Elliot Lurie

With Taj Mahal

With Junior Mance

With Herbie Mann

With Arif Mardin

With Esther Marrow

With Mac McAnally

With Gene McDaniels

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

With John Prine

With Bernard Purdie

With Bonnie Raitt

With The Rascals

With Leon Redbone

With Martha Reeves

With Lionel Richie

With Max Roach

With Diana Ross

With David Ruffin

With David Sanborn

With Shirley Scott

With Don Sebesky

With Janis Siegel

With Carly Simon

With Paul Simon

With Phoebe Snow

With Splinter

With Steely Dan

With Gábor Szabó

With James Taylor

With Kate Taylor

With The Manhattan Transfer

With Kenny Vance

With Grover Washington Jr.

With Mary Lou Williams

With Cris Williamson

With Bill Withers

With Zulema

References

  1. ^ a b Vitello, Paul (20 December 2011). "Ralph MacDonald, Pop Percussionist, Dies at 67". The New York Times. p. B11.
  2. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1559. 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

Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Authority control databases
Categories