Frank Foster, a prominent figure in Count Basie's Atomic band who went on to have a solo career too often overlooked, has died. He was 82 years old.
Foster moved from a quiet bebop tenor (his recordings with James Moody) to a soulful but soft-toned hard bop soloist with Count Basie and then (increasingly under the influence of John Coltrane, whose birthday he shared) under his own name, making the few recordings he led say a lot about his musical vision. He also played on a few Prestige jam sessions under the leadership of, among others, Kenny Burrell and Elmo Hope.
But after his stint with Basie and Prestige ended, Foster's name dropped off the radar. He worked with Elvin Jones in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and also dabbled in fusion with Donald Byrd for an ailing Blue Note Records. His music was good, and stayed good over the years, but he was of the modest, unassuming school of musicianship that included Frank Wess, another accomplished but undersung Basie alum who is 89 at the time of writing, the late pianist Hank Jones, and George Coleman. His last album, Well Water, was released in 2007.
It is too bad that Foster, like Wess, won't get his due until after his death. But better late than never, and the quality of Frank Foster's music ensures that his due will be quite a celebration. RIP, Mr. Foster. You will be missed.
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You can find an interview with Foster here, circa 1992. NPR's A Blog Supreme has more. Nate Chinen's NYT obituary, and his follow-up at The Gig.