Al Foster

American musician

Born: 18 January 1943
Richmond
Died: 28 May 2025
New York City
Country: United States
Active: 1960–2023
Record labels: Columbia Records, Blue Note, Verve Records
Discography: 7 albums

Biography

Al Foster was a jazz musician who played drum kit. Al Foster was born on 18 January 1943 in Richmond and died on 28 May 2025 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Columbia Records, Blue Note and Verve Records. The discography here lists 7 albums, from “Mixed Roots” (1978) to “Live at Smoke” (2025).

Aloysius Tyrone Foster (January 18, 1943 – May 28, 2025) was an American jazz drummer. Foster's professional career began in the mid-1960s, when he played and recorded with hard bop and swing musicians including Blue Mitchell and Illinois Jacquet. Foster played jazz fusion with Miles Davis during the 70s and was one of the few people to have contact with Davis during his retirement from 1975 to 1980. During Davis's retirement, Foster continued to play and record acoustic jazz with Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, and other band leaders. Foster played on Miles Davis's 1981 comeback album The Man with the Horn, and was the only musician to play in Davis's band both before, and after, his retirement. After leaving Davis's band in the mid-1980s, Foster toured and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and many other band leaders, primarily working in acoustic jazz settings.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Mixed Roots 1978 · CBS/Sony Mr. Foster 1979 · BETTER DAYS Brandyn 1997 · Laika Records Inspirations & Dedications 2019 · Smoke Sessions Records Reflections 2022 · Smoke Sessions

The Complete an Evening With 2023 · Live

Live at Smoke 2025 · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Al Foster is credited as a sideman

1964	The Thing to Do — Blue Mitchell	drums (drum set)
1968	Heads Up! — Blue Mitchell	drums (drum set)
1969	The Soul Explosion — Illinois Jacquet	drums (drum set)
1970	Reconstruction — Hugh Masekela	drums (drum set)
1972	On the Corner — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1973	Brooklyn Brothers — Cecil Payne & Duke Jordan	drums (drum set)
1974	Get Up With It — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1974	Big Fun — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1975	Silver 'n Brass — Horace Silver	drums (drum set)
1976	Silver 'N Wood — Horace Silver	drums (drum set)
1976	The Doctor Is In ...And Out — Yusef Lateef	drums (drum set)
1977	Light'n Up, Please! — Dave Liebman	drums (drum set)
1978	Silver'n Percussion — Horace Silver	drums (drum set)
1978	Animation — Cedar Walton	drums (drum set)
1978	Visitation — Sam Jones	drums (drum set)
1979	Don’t Ask — Sonny Rollins	drums (drum set)
1979	Milestone Jazzstars in Concert — Ron Carter, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner	drums (drum set)
1979	8 Originals From the Seventies — David Liebman	drums (drum set)
1979	Paradise Space Shuttle — George Adams	drums (drum set)
1980	Love at First Sight — Sonny Rollins	drums (drum set)
1980	Horizon — McCoy Tyner	drums (drum set)
1980	4x4 — McCoy Tyner	drums (drum set)
1980	So in Love — Art Pepper	drums (drum set)
1981	The Man With the Horn — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1981	Outpost — Freddie Hubbard	drums (drum set)
1981	The Magnificent Tommy Flanagan — Tommy Flanagan	drums (drum set)
1982	Giant Steps (In Memory of John Coltrane) — Tommy Flanagan	drums (drum set)
1983	Star People — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1984	Decoy — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)
1985	You’re Under Arrest — Miles Davis	drums (drum set)