Ralph MacDonald / The Path (US, Marlin, MARLIN 2210) <1978>

Ralph MacDonald / The Path (US, Marlin, MARLIN 2210) <1978>
(SIDE 1) MAR-2210-A-DJ 1/6/78
(SIDE 2) MAR-2210-B-DJ 1/5/78

カリプソ色の強いジャズ～ファンクに分類される作品で、かなり聴き応えがあります。

Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinbagonian-American percussionist, song-writer, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist.

Growing up in Harlem, New York, United States, under the close mentorship of his Trinbagonian father, Patrick MacDonald (a calypsonian and bandleader originally from Trinidad and Tobago who went by the stage name "Macbeth the Great"), MacDonald began showing his musical talent, particularly with the steelpan, and when he was 17 years old started playing pan for the Harry Belafonte show.

He remained with the Belafonte band for a decade before deciding to strike out on his own. In 1967, together with Bill Eaton and William Salter, he formed Antisia Music Incorporated. Antisia is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

In 1971, Roberta Flack recorded "Where Is the Love", which MacDonald and Salter had written. The duet with Donny Hathaway won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The single was awarded gold status and sold more than one million copies.MacDonald played on the session for the song.

One of MacDonald's best-known co-compositions is "Just the Two of Us", a single sung by Bill Withers, with saxophone performance by Grover Washington, Jr. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since been covered and sampled by many artists, including Will Smith.

「聞いたことある名前だなー」という程度でしたが、あの"Just the Two of Us"の作者なんですね。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3No3euJbB0