Ralph MacDonald RIP

[Harold_Z]

Heard from a friend that percussionist and Songwriter Ralph MacDonald passed today.

[JSngry]

That's a drag.

[AllenLowe]

is he the guy who did that ECM stuff (or was it CTI)?

[PHILLYQ]

is he the guy who did that ECM stuff (or was it CTI)?

He did a ton of stuff on CTI. In the early 70s my sister's boyfriend worked in the mailroom at CTI, so I regularly received boxes of vinyl at home of every new CTI release. Ralph McDonald was on nearly every release and he always added something special. He was a very good percussionist. RIP

[AllenLowe]

that;s it - I was working in a record store and his stuff was very popular/

[Bright Moments]

great stuff with grover washington

r.i.p.

[CJ Shearn]

damn, RIP

[mikeweil]

He was one of the most recorded percussionists during some years - he and Steve Gadd most of the time, e.g. on those CTI albums; or he and Harvey Mason, e.g. on George Benson's Weekend in L.A. - that's a good example of what he could do.

He invented a lot of ideas and licks that just about everybody copied, myself included. He was very influential and one who proved how adaptable percussion could be - later guys like Bashiri Johnson are unthinkable without Ralph MacDonald. I caught him live with Steve Gadd on the Frankfurt Music Fair - very unpretentious guy. He was honoured last year on some convention, already confined to a wheelchair ...

R.I.P., and thanks for everything.

[mjzee]

Yah, I had posted that here. It's never a good sign when someone's giving you a lifetime achievement award. RIP, Mr. McDonald.

[mjzee]

Article in today's Stamford Advocate

[Hardbopjazz]

Wow, I just read this. I do recall him. RIP Ralph.