Born in Richmond, Virginia on January 18, 1943, Al Foster's career as a top performing jazz drummer has spanned five decades. He moved to Harlem as a child and was immersed in the world of jazz, attending shows by many great musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Buddy Rich, Philly Joe Jones and Dave Brubeck. These experiences inspired the young drummer, and he made his recording debut aged 20 on Blue Mitchell's The Thing to Do (1964). He began to play in clubs, and toured extensively with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson and Stan Getz. In the early 1970s, Foster began composing, using the piano to create melodies which were used by other top jazz artists, including pianist Hank Jones, saxophonist Chris Potter and trumpeter Eddie Henderson. He joined Miles Davis' band in 1972 and remained part of it for 13 years, becoming one of the only people to have contact with Davis after his retirement. He also became a band leader in 1977, making his debut recording as leader Mixed Roots in 1978. This featured some of his original compositions and included performances by artists such as Michael Brecker and Bob Mintzer on saxophones and TM Stevens and Jeff Berlin on bass. His second album Mr. Foster was released in 1979. Foster featured on a number of albums by a variety of artists in the 1980s and early 1990s, and in 1995, set up the Al Foster Quartet with Larry Grenadier on bass, Chris Potter on saxophone and Dave Kikoski on piano. In 1996, Grenadier left and was replaced by Doug Weiss. The band toured throughout Europe and America and continued to do so for the next two decades. In between tours, Foster joined forces with other groups and musicians. In 1999, he formed the group SchLoHoFo with John Schofield on guitar, Joe Lovano on saxophone and Dave Holland on bass. They released the album Oh! in 1999 which contained compositions by all the group members. The Al Foster Quartet recorded the popular and highly-acclaimed live album Love, Peace and Jazz in 2005, and continue to perform together, touring and playing festivals and clubs throughout the world. Following the release of later albums Inspirations & Dedications (2019) and Reflections (2022), Al Foster died on May 28, 2025, at the age of 82.
