Frank Foster, whose pouncing tenor sax and swinging arranging style helped update Count Basie's New Testament Band with a seemingly endless stream of blues surprises from 1953 onward, died on July 26 in Chesapeake, VA. He was 82.
In a band crowded with saxophone talent, Foster and Frank Wess anchored the reed section like a pair of library lions, roaring with a sound so confident, moody and wily that no other orchestra could duplicate its natural feel and collective phrasing.
Foster's great skill as an arranger rested with his ability to weave a call and response technique throughout entire pieces without ever seeming dull or repetitive. In many cases, Foster's charts would have the saxes introduce and carry the melody line, while the trombones muttered or sneezed replies and the trumpets high-fived them for good measure.
The result was a modern conversational arranging technique that emulated banter heard in black barbershops rather than the church. With Foster, this salon was always humming, with roaring horns tempered by suede-smooth reeds and the sound of Basie's "scissors" always snipping away. Foster's arrangements didn't sound complex but they were deceptive, requiring precise and emotional playing that seemed to hurtle forward, even when taken at mid-tempo.
When Foster soloed, he could charge ahead, drag a note or hit a high wail while producing miraculous ideas at high speed. In some ways, his solos sounded like he was making an elaborate sandwich while standing in the aisle of a fast moving train, without losing his balance or dropping a thing.
On his arrangement, while the reeds ran their lines, other instruments uttered their own blues statements that were variations on the melody line. What's more, his charts always could be counted on to end with a big build up and a walloping crescendo, producing an emotional thrill for the listener.
Among Foster's many great jazz compositions and arrangements for Basie were Shiny Stockings, Blues in Hoss's Flat, Didn't You and Back to the Apple. Like many of Basie's men, Foster recorded prolifically on the side as a leader and sideman between Basie's big band tours and record dates.
On the list of most underrated tenor saxophonists of the 1950s, Foster is surely at or near the top. Long hidden in the Basie band, Foster was a master craftsman and a buzz of enthusiasm. The genius of his ideas, the force of his phrasing and agility of his eely style can be heard best on his early small-group leadership dates and later leadership recordings in the '60s. On these recordings, you get to hear why he was much more than he seemed—as great as he was in Basie's sax section.
Here are eight of my favorite Frank Foster albums (there are many more)...
Frank Foster Quartet (Vogue/1951)
Here Comes Frank Foster (Blue Note/1954)
George Wallington Showcase (Blue Note/1954)
Joe Newman and the Boys in the Band (Storyville/1954)
April in Paris (Verve/1955)
Jazz by Gee (Riverside/1956)
Easin' It (Roulette/1960)
Fearless Frank Foster (Prestige/1965)
JazzWax notes: Read my post about Brian Grady's saint-like efforts to win back and return Frank Foster's music copyrights to his family. Go here.
New York's WKCR-FM is broadcasting a full-day memorial broadcast of Frank Foster's music now. Go here.
JazzWax clips:Here's Frank Foster's Easin' It for Count Basie's band...
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Did that independent movie made about Frank ever get released. I remember seeing the trailer for it. especially the part about him waiting for royalty checks to help his medical expenses.
I must commend a great Ronnie Mathews record from about '78 as featuring the greatest Foster soloing on record I know.
It's called "Roots, Branches and Dances", on BeeHive Records. Foster is the only horn, with Ray Drummond and Al Foster. Added percussion is by Randy Weston's son. It's a very great record (Ronnie Mathews was very great!!).
Also Foster's writing on "Viva! Vaughan" on Mercury is outstanding. Another really great record (I love this period of Sarah, her transitional voice).
There's also a marvellous Foster record on Arkadia Jazz from the '90s, that had Wynton Marsalis on some tracks (but mostly quartet) that was especially strong.
(Does anyone know if the "Two Franks" band made more than the one record eventually issued on Pablo?).
My favorite Frank Foster composition--even more than "Shiny Stockings," which was one of the first hip jazz tunes I ever heard--is "Simone," a beautiful minor-blues waltz.
I know that it was played in the '70s by Elvin Jones's groups, but I don't know if Elvin recorded it. Frank wrote an arrangement of it for five-saxophones-and-rhythm that was recorded in 2003 on "Jerry Dodgion and the Joy of Sax".
Frank also did an arrangement of "Simone" for his Loud Minority big band, but I don't know of a recording.
When Thelonious Monk asked someone to record his music in a studio, that someone must certainly have been a top-notch player.
I wonder why no one has mentioned this outstanding recording date.
If you want to listen to this splendid Monk session from 1954, feel free to click on my name.
We See, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Locomotive & Hackensack are the featured tunes; Frank Foster, Ray Copeland, Curly Russell and Art Blakey are the most able men who perfectly fulfilled their leader's will to swing.
Frank Foster did a marvelous job, each of his solos is well conceived, and structured.
Monk has definitely never complained: "Where's the melody?"
I agree with Bill that "Simone" is one of Frank's loveliest tunes, and have heard a few nice versions but can't think exactly where at the moment. Elvin did record it on a Blue Note Album called "Coalition" with Frank, George Coleman, Wilbur Little, and Candido.
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Marc Myers writes frequently on music and the arts for the Wall Street Journal. He is author of "Why Jazz Happened" (University of California Press). In 2012, JazzWax was named the Jazz Journalists Association's "Blog of the Year."
Did that independent movie made about Frank ever get released. I remember seeing the trailer for it. especially the part about him waiting for royalty checks to help his medical expenses.
Posted by: Chris Galuman | July 28, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Another great Frank Foster date is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/House-That-Love-Built/dp/B000027UBM/ref=sr_1_12?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1311879534&sr=1-12
Posted by: don frese | July 28, 2011 at 03:34 PM
I must commend a great Ronnie Mathews record from about '78 as featuring the greatest Foster soloing on record I know.
It's called "Roots, Branches and Dances", on BeeHive Records. Foster is the only horn, with Ray Drummond and Al Foster. Added percussion is by Randy Weston's son. It's a very great record (Ronnie Mathews was very great!!).
Also Foster's writing on "Viva! Vaughan" on Mercury is outstanding. Another really great record (I love this period of Sarah, her transitional voice).
There's also a marvellous Foster record on Arkadia Jazz from the '90s, that had Wynton Marsalis on some tracks (but mostly quartet) that was especially strong.
(Does anyone know if the "Two Franks" band made more than the one record eventually issued on Pablo?).
Posted by: Red Sullivan | July 29, 2011 at 01:58 AM
My favorite Frank Foster composition--even more than "Shiny Stockings," which was one of the first hip jazz tunes I ever heard--is "Simone," a beautiful minor-blues waltz.
I know that it was played in the '70s by Elvin Jones's groups, but I don't know if Elvin recorded it. Frank wrote an arrangement of it for five-saxophones-and-rhythm that was recorded in 2003 on "Jerry Dodgion and the Joy of Sax".
Frank also did an arrangement of "Simone" for his Loud Minority big band, but I don't know of a recording.
Posted by: Bill Kirchner | July 29, 2011 at 09:15 AM
When Thelonious Monk asked someone to record his music in a studio, that someone must certainly have been a top-notch player.
I wonder why no one has mentioned this outstanding recording date.
If you want to listen to this splendid Monk session from 1954, feel free to click on my name.
We See, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Locomotive & Hackensack are the featured tunes; Frank Foster, Ray Copeland, Curly Russell and Art Blakey are the most able men who perfectly fulfilled their leader's will to swing.
Frank Foster did a marvelous job, each of his solos is well conceived, and structured.
Monk has definitely never complained: "Where's the melody?"
Posted by: Bruno Leicht | July 29, 2011 at 05:07 PM
As I noted elsewhere, 82 years old, with a wife of 45 years - not the worst way to go out.
Thanks for everything, Mr. Foster.
Posted by: Rab Hines | July 29, 2011 at 06:04 PM
I agree with Bill that "Simone" is one of Frank's loveliest tunes, and have heard a few nice versions but can't think exactly where at the moment. Elvin did record it on a Blue Note Album called "Coalition" with Frank, George Coleman, Wilbur Little, and Candido.
Posted by: David | July 30, 2011 at 01:20 AM
Some other good versions of "Simone" include the ones on Shelley Carrol's "A Distant Star" and Frank's own "Leo Rising."
Posted by: David | July 30, 2011 at 04:34 PM
I think Frank was the first American jazz
musician that I actually saw off the bandstand.
I was 17 and he (a good looking young man) was walking in the grounds
of Belle Vue,Manchester in 1957 just before a Basie concert there.
Thanks Frank for all the memories of great music you created
Posted by: Peter | August 03, 2011 at 06:17 PM