Jazz drummer Al Foster, famous for working with legends like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died.
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Foster’s daughter, Kierra Foster-Ba, shared the news on Instagram, and his longtime partner, Bonnie Rose Steinberg, told NPR that he died due to a “serious illness.”
He was 82.
Foster-Ba shared footage of Foster performing earlier this year.
The prolific drummer, born in 1943 as Aloysius Tyrone Foster, was inspired early on by bebop drummer Max Roach. According to NPR, he started his career as a studio musician, first working with Blue Mitchell on the album The Thing To Do. In 1968, Foster also played a gig with Sonny Rollins.
Al Foster’s Breakthrough with Miles Davis Came in 1972
Foster got his big break in 1972 when he became Miles Davis’ drummer, a role he held until Davis’ brief retirement in 1975. During that time, Foster played on the live albums In Concert, Agharta, and Dark Magus, as well as Davis’ 1974 studio albums On The Corner and Big Fun. Davis even named an extended jam “Mr. Foster” on On The Corner as a tribute to him.
Years later, Sonny Rollins reunited with Al Foster, inviting him to join his European tour. Rollins later revealed that the track “Harlem Boys” from his 1979 album Don’t Ask was inspired by the shared experiences he and Foster had growing up.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Foster performed with renowned musicians like Hancock, Horace Silver, and McCoy Tyner. In 1978, he co-founded the supergroup Milestones Jazzstars with Rollins, Ron Carter, and Tyner.
In 1981, Miles Davis made his comeback with the album The Man with the Horn, once again featuring Foster on drums. Foster was the only musician to play with Davis both before his retirement and after his return.
After leaving Davis’ band in the 1980s, Foster went on to tour and record with well-known artists like Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen, Larry Willis, Tommy Flanagan, and others.
In his later years, Al Foster had a regular performing residency at the well-known Smoke jazz club on the Upper West Side. He also continued composing and released his final album, Reflections, in 2022.