Frank Foster is an NEA Jazz Master Born September 23, 1928 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Frank Benjamin Foster III began his long musical career at age eleven, when he took up the clarinet. Two years later he began playing alto saxophone, advancing technically to the point of performing with local dance bands at age 14. He began to compose and arrange at 15, and led his own 12- piece band while still only a senior in high school. Foster attended Wilberforce University, then left for Detroit in 1949 (with trumpeter Snooky Young) where he played with such local musicians as Wardell Gray.
Upon finishing his military service in 1953, Foster joined Count Basie's big band (replacing Eddie Lockjaw Davis) on the recommendation of Ernie Wilkins. In addition to his full throated tenor playing, Foster contributed original material to the band including the standard, “Shiny Stockings,” and other popular songs including “Down For The Count,” “Blues Backstage,” “Back to the Apple,” “Discommotion,” and “Blues In Hoss Flat” as well as arrangements for the entire Easin’ It album.
“I wrote `Shiny Stockings' in 1955,” Foster told Bob Bernotas. “We had a rehearsal at a place called Pep's Bar in Philadelphia. We had just arrived in town. Everybody was sleepy, tired, hungry, and evil. Nobody felt like rehearsing. We rehearsed `Shiny Stockings' and it sounded like a bunch of jumbled notes, just noise, and I said, `Wow, all the work I put into this, and it sounds so horrible. I know Basie will never play it.' And then something very strange happened. He continued to play and it came together. Finally, we recorded it and, well, it's the very best known piece that I have contributed to the Basie book.”
After ten-plus years, Foster departed Basie’s band in 1964, and began working as a freelance arranger and musician providing material for Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra, among others. From 1970 to 1975 he brought his mighty tenor to a variety of situations including the bandstands of Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Joe Farrell and the Thad Jones” Mel Lewis big band. Foster also led the Living Color and Loud Minority Big Bands; co-led a quintet with Frank Wess in 1983, and toured Europe as a member of Jimmy Smith's quintet in 1985. Foster succeeded Thad Jones as leader of the Basie band in 1986, where he remained until 1995.
Foster has recorded many albums as a leader, including Here Comes Frank Foster (Blue Note, 1954), Two Franks Please! (Savoy, 1957), Fearless Frank Foster (Prestige, 1965), Manhattan Fever (Blue Note, 1968), Shiny Stockings (Denon, 1987), Frankly Speaking (Concord, 1995), and Swing (Challenge, 1998).
Foster is the recipient of two Grammy Awards: the first, for his big band arrangement of the Diane Schuur composition, “Deedles’ Blues, “ (Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal, 1987), and the second for his arrangement of guitarist/vocalist George Benson’s composition, “Basie’s Bag” (Best Instrumental Arrangement, Jazz Category, 1988). He also received two Grammy nominations: first, for his big band arrangement of Charles Trenet’s composition, ”Beyond The Sea,” and next for an album with his fellow Basie alumnus Frank Wess entitled Frankly Speaking.
Frank Foster is currently celebrating 60 years in music. His career highlights include stints with The Lloyd Price Orchestra, The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, and The Woody Herman Orchestra. In addition, Foster has performed with Johnny Richards, Duke Pearson, and Benny Goodman.
Throughout his career Foster has received many writing commissions. He has composed and orchestrated material for The Carnegie Hall Jazz Ensemble, The Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra, The Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble, The Jazzmobile Corporation of New York City, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Malaysia Symphony Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra of Hilversum, Holland, and The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. In 1983 Dizzy Gillespie personally commissioned Frank Foster to orchestrate one of the jazz icon’s compositions, “Con Alma,” for a scheduled performance and recording with The London Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Robert Farnon.
After resigning as leader of The Count Basie Orchestra in 1995, Foster resumed his leadership of three musical groups, The Non-Electric Company, a jazz quartet, Swing Plus, a 12-piece dance band, and The Loud Minority Big Band, an 18-piece concert jazz orchestra, each of which he had organized years prior to assuming leadership of the Basie unit in 1986.
In 2006, The Harper’s Ferry Historical Association of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia commissioned Foster to compose and conduct a jazz suite to be performed by The Count Basie Orchestra as part of the three-day celebration to commemorate the “Niagara movement,” which relates to John Brown’s famous raid on Harper’s Ferry.
Frank Foster suffered a stroke in 2001 that impaired his left side to the extent that he could no longer play the saxophone. As a result he disbanded his quartet; however, he continued to lead Swing Plus and The Loud Minority Big Band on limited engagements, mostly in the New York City area. He also continued arranging and composing at his home in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he resides with his wife and personal manager of nearly 40 years, Cecilia Foster.
Frank Foster passed on July,26, 2011.
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Frank Foster es un Maestro de Jazz de NEA Nacido el 23 de septiembre de 1928 en Cincinnati, Ohio, Frank Benjamin Foster III comenzó su larga carrera musical a la edad de once años, cuando se hizo cargo del clarinete. Dos años más tarde comenzó a tocar saxofón alto, avanzando técnicamente hasta el punto de tocar con bandas de baile locales a la edad de 14 años. Comenzó a componer y arreglar a los 15 años, y dirigió su propia banda de 12 piezas cuando aún estaba en el último año de la escuela secundaria. Foster asistió a la Universidad de Wilberforce, luego se fue a Detroit en 1949 (con el trompetista Snooky Young) donde tocó con músicos locales como Wardell Gray.
Al terminar su servicio militar en 1953, Foster se unió a la big band de Count Basie (reemplazando a Eddie Lockjaw Davis) por recomendación de Ernie Wilkins. Además de su tenor, Foster contribuyó con material original a la banda, incluyendo el estándar, "Shiny Stockings", y otras canciones populares como "Down For The Count", "Blues Backstage", "Back to the Apple", "Discommotion" y "Blues In Hoss Flat", así como los arreglos para todo el álbum Easin' It.
"Escribí `Shiny Stockings' en 1955," dijo Foster a Bob Bernotas. "Ensayamos en un lugar llamado Pep's Bar en Filadelfia. Acabábamos de llegar a la ciudad. Todo el mundo tenía sueño, estaba cansado, hambriento y malvado. Nadie tenía ganas de ensayar. Ensayamos `Shiny Medias Brillantes' y sonó como un montón de notas mezcladas, sólo ruido, y dije, `Wow, todo el trabajo que puse en esto, y suena tan horrible. Sé que Basie nunca la tocará". Y entonces sucedió algo muy extraño. Siguió tocando y se compaginó. Finalmente, lo grabamos y, bueno, es la pieza más conocida que he contribuido al libro de Basie".
Después de más de diez años, Foster dejó la banda de Basie en 1964, y comenzó a trabajar como arreglista y músico independiente proporcionando material para Sarah Vaughan y Frank Sinatra, entre otros. De 1970 a 1975 llevó a su poderoso tenor a una variedad de situaciones, incluyendo los kioscos de Elvin Jones, George Coleman, Joe Farrell y el Thad Jones" Mel Lewis big band". Foster también lideró las Big Bands de Living Color y Loud Minority; co-lideró un quinteto con Frank Wess en 1983, y realizó una gira por Europa como miembro del quinteto de Jimmy Smith en 1985. Foster sucedió a Thad Jones como líder de la banda Basie en 1986, donde permaneció hasta 1995.
Foster ha grabado muchos discos como líder, incluyendo Here Comes Frank Foster (Blue Note, 1954), Two Franks Please! (Saboya, 1957), Frank Foster (Prestige, 1965), Manhattan Fever (Blue Note, 1968), Shiny Stockings (Denon, 1987), Frankly Speaking (Concord, 1995) y Swing (Challenge, 1998).
Foster ha recibido dos premios Grammy: el primero, por su arreglo para big band de la composición de Diane Schuur, "Deedles' Blues," (Mejor Arreglo Acompañando a un Vocal, 1987), y el segundo por su arreglo de la composición del guitarrista/vocalista George Benson, "Basie's Bag" (Mejor Arreglo Instrumental, Categoría Jazz, 1988). También recibió dos nominaciones a los Grammy: primero, por el arreglo de la composición de Charles Trenet para su gran banda, "Beyond The Sea", y luego por un álbum con su compañero de Basie, Frank Wess, titulado Frankly Speaking (Hablando con franqueza).
Frank Foster está celebrando actualmente 60 años en la música. Su carrera se destaca en The Lloyd Price Orchestra, The Lionel Hampton Orchestra y The Woody Herman Orchestra. Además, Foster ha actuado con Johnny Richards, Duke Pearson y Benny Goodman.
A lo largo de su carrera, Foster ha recibido muchos encargos de escritura. Ha compuesto y orquestado material para The Carnegie Hall Jazz Ensemble, The Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra, The Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble, The Jazzmobile Corporation of New York City, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Malaysia Symphony Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra of Hilversum, Holland, y The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. En 1983 Dizzy Gillespie encargó personalmente a Frank Foster la orquestación de una de las composiciones del icono del jazz, "Con Alma", para una actuación programada y una grabación con la London Philharmonic Orchestra dirigida por Robert Farnon.
Después de renunciar como líder de The Count Basie Orchestra en 1995, Foster retomó su liderazgo de tres grupos musicales, The Non-Electric Company, un cuarteto de jazz, Swing Plus, una banda de baile de 12 músicos, y The Loud Minority Big Band, una orquesta de jazz de concierto de 18 músicos, cada una de las cuales había organizado años antes de asumir el liderazgo de la unidad Basie en 1986.
En 2006, The Harper's Ferry Historical Association of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, le encargó a Foster que compusiera y dirigiera una suite de jazz interpretada por The Count Basie Orchestra como parte de la celebración de tres días para conmemorar el "movimiento del Niágara", que se relaciona con la famosa incursión de John Brown en Harper's Ferry.
Frank Foster sufrió un derrame cerebral en 2001 que afectó su lado izquierdo hasta el punto de que ya no podía tocar el saxofón. Como resultado, disolvió su cuarteto; sin embargo, continuó dirigiendo Swing Plus y The Loud Minority Big Band en compromisos limitados, principalmente en el área de la ciudad de Nueva York. También continuó arreglando y componiendo en su casa en Chesapeake, Virginia, donde reside con su esposa y gerente personal de casi 40 años, Cecilia Foster.
Frank Foster falleció el 26 de julio de 2011.
Tracklist:
A1 - Little Red
A2 - How I Spent The Night
A3 - Blues For Benny
B1 - Out Of Nowhere
B2 - Gracias
B3 - The Heat's On
Credits:
Bass – Percy Heath
Design [Cover] – John Hermansader
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Liner Notes – Leonard Feather
Photography By [Photo] – Francis Wolff
Piano – Gildo Mahones
Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster
Trombone – Bennie Powell*
Notes:
Recorded May 5, 1954.
Label: Blue Note – BLP 5043
Series: Modern Jazz Series –
Released: 1954
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop
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