Ralph MacDonald Mister Magic

Taken from his 1976 album on Marlin Records ''Sound Of A Drum''

Double Bass – William Salter
Drums – Rick Marotta
Electric Piano - Richard Tee
Congas, Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Piano – Arthur Jenkins Jr.
Timbales – Nicholas Marrero
Twelve-String Guitar – Eric Gale
Vibraphone – David Friedman

A crucial album from percussionist Ralph MacDonald – a set that not only catapulted him into the limelight, after strong work on countless records for other artists – but a record that also gave Ralph some long-standing fame, thanks to some key groovers on the set! The album's got a percussion-heavy take on funky fusion – never too over the top, but with more of an edge than some of the more polished 70s sessions on CTI or Columbia – although done with similar players who include Bob James on keyboards, Grover Washington Jr on soprano and tenor, Eric Gale on guitar, and Richard Tee on percussion. Ralph's congas are very strongly up in the mix – and heard to famous effect on the classic "Jam On The Groove", a killer break cut from the old days, as well as a superb version of "Mister Magic", plus the tracks "Calypso Breakdown", "Sound Of A Drum", and "Where Is The Love".