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Ralph MacDonald
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Grammy-award winning percussionist, songwriter and producer Ralph MacDonald was born in Harlem, NY in 1944. As the son of Trinidad-immigrant and Calypso performer "Macbeth The Great," Ralph grew up amidst the rise of Calypsonian revolution in New York City. The young boy was often placed playfully on his father's drums for a moment or two and, when he got older, MacDonald dreamed of someday achieving the regional success of his father. At 17, Ralph helped a friend carry his steel drums into an audition for legendary performer Harry Belafonte. The friend got the gig, and MacDonald became a regular at rehearsals
Les McCann: Never Say No Again
by Chris M. Slawecki
"Be who you are and not who you ain't. Because when you are who you ain't, you're not who you are." Keyboardist, vocalist, bandleader, songwriter and photographer Les McCann really talks like this. About his music, about musicians, about his career--about everything. I learned this during the following interview, scheduled to discuss Omnivore Records' ...
Big in Japan: A History of Jazz in the Land of the Rising Sun, Part 1
by Karl Ackermann
Part 1 | Part 2The music market in Japan--second only to the U.S. in terms of revenue--generates more than two-billion dollars in sales annually. Enthusiasts and collectors of jazz recordings had long ago discovered that Japan's robust music scene, and the now virtual accessibility to products have made the country a go-to resource for ...
Milt Jackson: Sunflower / Goodbye
by Jakob Baekgaard
Even if vibes player Milt Jackson had just played with The Modern Jazz Quartet and not embarked on a solo career, his place in jazz history would be secure. However, Jackson was much more than a vital part of the famous chamber jazz group and he recorded a string of excellent albums, including three sessions as ...
Les McCann "Invitation To Openness" Reissued on Omnivore Recordings
Through the chart-topping 1969 song Compared To What, Les McCann became known to thousands of people as an inspirational soul-jazz" pianist and vocalist. Since its first release in 1972, Les McCann's Invitation To Openness album (Atlantic Records) has remained a landmark statement in free-form improvisation mixed with soulful grooves, featuring a 26-minute continuous track with ...
All Star Tribute to Ralph MacDonald at Holy Cross College
by Nigel Campbell
Etienne Charles with his All Star Band Jazz on D Hill Holy Cross College Arima, Trinidad May 11, 2014 On a picturesque plateau above the town of Arima overlooking the distant Caroni plains on the island of Trinidad, the Holy Cross College Alumni produced a jazz event ...
Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr., was born on this day in 1943 and died on December 17, 1999. He was a tenor, alto and soprano saxophonist who had huge success as a popular artist, in great part because his 1974 album Mister Magic was high on the pop, soul and R&B charts for weeks. He followed with additional ...
The Complete Arista Albums Collection
by John Kelman
When fusion first emerged in the late 1960s/early '70s with artists like trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin, the emphasis was on guitar and keyboard heavy lineups like Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, with an equally strong predilection for the intensity and volume of rock and a kind of thundering funk ...
Lisa Marie Baratta: Summertime Jazz
by Edward Blanco
Born in Ancon, Panama, Lisa Marie Baratta came from a naval family, growing up in many places but finding music to be that certain constant, no matter where she traveled to next. Attracted to the woodwinds at an early age, Baratta also gravitated to alto and soprano saxophones, but became equally comfortable on flute. She plays ...
Toph-E & The Pussycats: No Ordinary Day
by Woodrow Wilkins
Toph-E & The Pussycats is a contemporary band with old-school ideas. Its repertoire combines jazz, funk and R&B properties. For No Ordinary Day, those elements are augmented by hints of Brazilian and Latin rhythms. Part of the group's name comes from a variation of drummer Christopher Parker's nickname, Toph." Collectively, the group's members bring ...