Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
New Orleans saxophonist Kidd Jordan said he once saw John Cage and Louis Armstrong perform on the same night.
(Photo: Eric Waters Photography)You also listened to avant-garde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen, who came to one of your shows in Berlin.
I listen to all types of music that moves me. One night, I saw John Cage at Tulane [University] and then went downtown to see Louis Armstrong’s last show in New Orleans. Louis Armstrong broke all kinds of rules; he did some wild things when he was young—like Ornette and Trane. And Albert Ayler. I dedicated this album to Albert, because he didn’t really get his due when he was playing. Albert kept this thing going in a different direction.
It’s a very spiritual album. “Holy Ghost Suite” invokes Ayler in its very title and segues into “The Revival Suite,” which your frequent collaborator, bassist William Parker, said was about the “history and the mystery of New Orleans.”
I don’t know about that [laughs]. After the music is played, you can come up with all kinds of descriptions. But at the time, I’m hearing what’s going on inside the harmonic things. And the music really comes out of the church. When you hear the “hallelujahs,” you just gotta go. Jazz is chance music; you don’t know what’s gonna come out. You may have one thing in mind, and then you go someplace you never thought about before.
What’s the thing that keeps you going as an improviser?
Well, I don’t care what people say. And I knew when I started, I wasn’t going to get rich playing this music. I taught school and played with a lot of bands in other genres to raise my family. So, in my leisure time, why should I not do what I want to do? Even if nobody likes it, I like it. And that’s the thing. DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
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The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
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Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
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When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
