6. Ralph MacDonald
You already know Ralph MacDonald, even if you don’t realize it—as the New York Times put it, he’s “the ghost behind the million-selling albums.” Artists from David Bowie to Bonnie Raitt to Amy Winehouse have recordings featuring the Trini-American’s masterful percussion skills. He penned 70’s classics “Where Is The Love” (Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway) and “Just The Two Of Us” (Bill Withers), and has a slew of successful solo albums to his name. He even played in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. But he also played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Paul Desmond, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, and Max Roach. Particularly as different fusion styles became popular in the 70’s and 80’s, jazz musicians sought to add percussion beyond the basic drum kit—and MacDonald was the player of choice.
Born in Harlem to calypsonian Macbeth the Great (aka Patrick MacDonald), MacDonald began his career as Harry Belafonte’s panman—after a decade with Belafonte, he struck out on his own, becoming a sought-after studio musician. Some of his most interesting jazz work can be found on Joe Henderson’s “In Pursuit of Blackness,” Ron Carter’s “Blues Farm,” and Milt Jackson’s “Sunflower”—all funky 70’s records that showcase MacDonald’s versatility. Here’s his classic “Calypso Breakdown”: