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I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:31 pm
by 440ranch
I was listening to one of my all time favorite albums, Herbie Mann's "Push Push".
I've always loved the conga playing... So, I looked it up, and its Ralph McDonald.
Cool, smooth, low key, just a few notes well placed... just the kind of thing I like.

So, after years I finally look up Ralph McDonald, not with us anymore, but turns out, a really interesting guy.
Not only has he played with a ton of greats, he also was a writer..."Winelight" for Grover Washington,
"Just The Two of Us" "Where Is The Love" for Roberta Flack...

I guess that helped him finance his conga playing, huh?
Cool guy.

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:35 pm
by Omelenko1
Ralph McDonald was probably the most recorded percussionist during the 70's and 80's. He had his own groove, not a Latin player the likes of Mongo or Barretto, but he had his own style and he blended perfectly. I always enjoyed his playing. (RIP)

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:48 pm
by RitmoBoricua
Perhaps his calypso roots had a big influence in the way he played.

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:49 pm
by JohnnyConga
440 Ranch if you want to play like Ralph I can show you how he played his 'signature' style( as I studied his style)..Ralph made his money from co-writing the song "Where is the Love" with his partner William Salter(a bass player) Roberta Flack recorded it and Ralph and William became millionaires off that one tune...so Ralph started his own Record lable ..before all that happened he was a 'session' musician in NYC...he actually started with Harry Belafonte and stayed with him for 13 years. His very last gig was touring with Jimmy Buffet...

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:53 pm
by 440ranch
JohnnyConga wrote:440 Ranch if you want to play like Ralph I can show you how he played his 'signature' style( as I studied his style).a


Sure, lets do it, but...
Out here in the country, I have very poor Internet service for a two way camera deal.
Can you record them and put them on one of those clouds or something?

Can you chart it out on Time Unit Box System?

I'm sure we can figure something out.

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:46 am
by Derbeno
RitmoBoricua wrote:Perhaps his calypso roots had a big influence in the way he played.


Well, his dad was a Calypsonian from Trinidad. In old time Calypso they actually played the Clave and then the faster Soca changed all that.

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:39 pm
by JohnnyConga
Ok 440ranch here is my imitation of Ralph McDonald...i wanted to play along with a Brecker Bros recording Ralph is on but a friend of mine borrowed it...I can play along later with music when I get the album back...how'd I do?.....
http://youtu.be/xPMEmXNLQaA

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:12 pm
by 440ranch
Hey! Thanks JC. That is very cool of you.

You should know that I do all my practicing in the feed room of my horse barn. Whenever I go up to feed the horses, I end up playing drums first, then I feed... So now when the horses are out in the pasture they have learned (Its a Pavlovian thing)
when they hear me playing, they come running up to the gate hoping to get fed...

So now, thanks to you, I'm pretty sure that I will have the only horses in the world that start to drool and come running when they hear Ralph McDonald.

Thanks JC

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 11:56 pm
by congamyk
nice vid JC - you groovin'

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:19 pm
by Omelenko1
Is that the "Ralph McDonald" or the "Rafael Maldonado" style? Just joking. That was great Johnny!

Re: I Want to Play Like Ralph

PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:24 am
by Hawker
440ranch wrote:Hey! Thanks JC. That is very cool of you.

You should know that I do all my practicing in the feed room of my horse barn. Whenever I go up to feed the horses, I end up playing drums first, then I feed... So now when the horses are out in the pasture they have learned (Its a Pavlovian thing)
when they hear me playing, they come running up to the gate hoping to get fed...

So now, thanks to you, I'm pretty sure that I will have the only horses in the world that start to drool and come running when they hear Ralph McDonald.

Thanks JC


Lol love the horse story. Nice job on the McDonald groove Johnny, he and Steve Gadd used to do a lot of stuff together.