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There are few guarantees in life. One of them is Ralph MacDonald. An album by the acclaimed LP artist is going to exhibit sonic quality and musicianship that’s a cut above the rest. It’s a given that this percussionist, who’s played on more hit albums than you can shake a shekere at, is going to settle only for exemplary musical performances and meaningful compositions.
Home Grown sees Ralph in familiar company, including many of his New York running buddies from way back. There’s stalwart Chris Parker on drums, Will Lee on bass, Lou Marini on flute: talk about a Saturday Night Live reunion! Then there’s Jeff Mirnov on guitar, Clifford Carter on keyboards, Rob Mounsey on strings, Robert Greenidge on pans, and even Tom Scott on sax.
Speaking of pans, the opening track, “Sirocco”, springs forth with a sprightly seventies-pop-meets-Don-Grusin vibe. It’s a warm, funky vamp and, thanks to the steel drums sets a friendly mood that pervades this album.
On to the title track and another rung up in energy. Again the pans shadow the melodic line. MacDonald, brilliant percussionist that he is, is not obtrusive: It’s more a case of how much you’d feel it if he wasn’t playing—for example when his LP shakers enter at 2:16 and provide the perfect backdrop to Mirnov’s guitar solo and Parker’s sparse, clean drumming. We’re talking about peaking the groove meter!
With the bass drum on the offbeat, reggae style, and interesting sound bites entering and receding, we begin to realize why the song’s entitled “Sneaky Feats”. It’s a crafty bit of work that graduates from the Caribbean intro (with arguably atypical sitar!) to a strolling New York funk chorus, spiked with Hammond organ. When Tom Scott drops in to solo, we get that old California feeling we enjoyed on his album Apple Juice with a dose of Stuff, a band from the Apple. Whatever the references, it’s emphatically “get-down”.
Lest you think the whole album is instrumental, “Now That I don’t Love You Anymore” introduces the compelling vocals of Nadirah Shakoor. Again, MacDonald is understated: Sometimes he’s on triangle, sometimes congas. More percussionists ought to observe MacDonald for his restraint and taste. A listen to this radio tune would be a good place for them to start—and this is definitely a radio tune with a chorus you’ll be humming long afterward. It would be a treat to catch this band live, soloing over this section.
And now for a departure: “Penny Whistle Man”, pure folkloric. It bounces along so vividly you can imagine the island kids chasing it down the street. Another MacDonald/Salter/Eaton co-write, the track builds on a simple premise and creates a wide sonic vista. MacDonald’s congas sync perfectly with Parker’s well-placed cross stick on snare and an African chant.
Considerably more uptown is “My Heart”, which hints of a bossa nova. “Teezee Weezee” is a track that puts us back into the funk. Will Lee is pulling the bass strings with a vengeance, the pans are singing, and, as usual, MacDonald is the glue.
Nadirah Shakoor makes a welcome return on “Laying in his Arms”, an up-tempo strut. The lyrics tell a story of unrequited love, one that Lou Marini continues during a conversational sax solo. MacDonald is rock solid on congas, tambourine, shakers, and goodness knows what else. This is another radio contender.
Fat ‘n’ sassy is the way you describe the groove embraces “When You Smile”, in which Dennis Collins performs a call and answer with Shakoor. Chris Parker, one of the unsung drummers of the last three decades, has this one covered and then some, helped along by MacDonald’s judiciously placed ear candy: the single tambourine hits at 1:45, for example. As the lyrics say, “I’m smiling, you’re smiling”. Amen.
“Island Life” indeed! Again, we behold a well-conceived mix and thick groove, which lies roughly in the same neighborhood as “Jump up Behind Me”, to cite a James Taylor tune. Listen to the brilliant bell part MacDonald pulls off in the verses (eg. 1:48)—a staggered, off the beat pattern that pulls the energy forward, as would a cascara.
Dennis Collins sings, “the Island life is the only life for me”. Light your matches: This is the anthem of the album.
Intriguing timbres and low tuned drum glissandos open “Meet Me in Margaritaville”. Of course, the name suggests Jimmy Buffet and, to be sure, his name is prominent in the lyric rap. It’s party time and setting the right mood are the pans.
The album draws to a close with “All Night Long”, a Greenidge composition, not to be confused with the Lionel Ritchie hit. It’s an up tempo dance/march, a bright walk home to the Island. As usual the crack band nails the groove and mood.
You’ll have fun with Home Grown, learn a little about what it takes to create fine rhythm tracks, and make lasting friends with some of these melodies.
To learn more about Ralph MacDonald or to purchase his CDs, please visit www.ralphmacdonald.com.
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