Al Foster, jazz drummer for Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, dies at 82
Jazz drumming legend Al Foster, known for his work alongside Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Sonny Rollins in pioneering groups, passed away at the age of 82.
In simpler terms, Bonnie Rose Steinberg, Foster’s partner, announced to NPR that Foster passed away due to a severe health issue at his residence in New York City. Kierra Foster-Ba, his daughter, verified the demise on her Instagram account.
Foster’s percussion work, marked by unyielding creativity and flexibility, transcended various eras and musical styles within jazz, propelling both refined bebop ensembles and boisterous fusion bands with equal vigor.
In his autobiography “Miles: The Autobiography”, Davis expressed that Foster’s drumming left him spellbound due to his exceptional groove and ability to perfectly place his beats. Furthermore, he noted that Foster could arrange situations for everyone else to build upon, while consistently maintaining the rhythm – a quality that he felt was essential in a drummer, as Foster possessed all of it.
On Davis’ studio album titled “Big Fun” and his live albums “Dark Magus” and “Agharta”, Foster contributed. Later, Davis acknowledged Foster’s remarkable agility with the funk single “Mr. Foster”, which was produced during the recording sessions for the 1972 album “On the Corner”.
Aloysius Tyrone Foster was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1943, but spent his formative years in Harlem amid a family of musicians. His musical journey began with the inspiration provided by drummer Max Roach. Throughout his career, he shared stages and studios with saxophonists Sonny Rollins (a partnership that lasted for decades) and Joe Henderson. Their collaboration culminated in the influential double live album “The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2.” Rollins attributed the creation of his song “Harlem Boys” to the shared experiences he and Foster had growing up in Harlem.
In various groups, Foster performed alongside jazz legends such as Art Pepper, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, and more. In 1978, he became part of the renowned supergroup Milestones Jazzstars, including Tyner, Rollins, and Ron Carter. That same year, he launched his career as a bandleader with the release “Mixed Roots.
In the later stages of his musical journey, he teamed up with guitarist John Scofield, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and bassist Dave Holland as part of the group ScoLoHoFo. Regularly, he played at Smoke, a club on the Upper West Side, whose internal record label put out his last two albums, one being “Reflections” from 2022.
Four daughters – Michelle, Kierra, Monique, and Simone – and six grandchildren remain to honor the life of the person who has passed away. Sadly, his son Brandyn preceded him in death back in 2018.
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2025-06-03 22:01