Frank Foster

Frank Benjamin Foster III (September 23, 1928 – July 26, 2011) was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s. In 1998, Howard University awarded Frank Foster with the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award.

Early life and education Foster was born on September 23 1928, in Cincinnati,

From 1970 to 1972, (and on occasional later dates) he played with Elvin Jones,

Foster also formed and lead several groups, most notably Living Color and The Loud Minority. He co-led a quintet with Frank Wess in 1983, and toured Europe as a member of Jimmy Smith's quintet in 1985.

Awards and commissions Foster received 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 Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, 1990). He also received two Grammy nominations: for his big band arrangement of Charles Trenet's composition "Beyond the Sea", and for an album with his fellow Basie alumnus Frank Wess entitled Frankly Speaking (Concord Jazz, 1985). He 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, the Netherlands, 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. In 1987, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Central State University in Wilberforce.

Humanitarian causes Foster became a great supporter of The Jazz Foundation of America in their mission to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina. After receiving help from the Jazz Foundation, he supported the cause by performing in their Annual Benefit Concert "A Great Night in Harlem" in 2008.

He donated his gold-plated tenor sax to be auctioned by the Jazz Foundation of America, the proceeds of which went to support the foundation's non-profit programs, especially working gigs and educational programs for victims of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Discography As leader 1953: Here Comes Frank Foster: Frank Foster Quintet with Benny Powell (Blue Note) 1955: Hope Meets Foster (Prestige) with Elmo Hope 1956: No 'Count (Savoy) 1963: Basie Is Our Boss (Argo) 1965: Fearless Frank Foster (Prestige) 1966: Soul Outing! (Prestige) 1968: Manhattan Fever (Blue Note) 1972: The Loud Minority (Mainstream) 1976: Here and Now (Catalyst) 1977: Shiny Stockings (Denon) 1978: Twelve Shades of Black (Leo) 1979: Non-Electric Company (EPM Musique) 1982: The House That Love Built (SteepleChase) 1983: Two for the Blues (Pablo) with Frank Wess 1984: Frankly Speaking (Concord Jazz) with Frank Wess 1985: Generations (Muse) with Pepper Adams 1992: The Count Basie Orchestra Directed by Frank Foster Live at El Morocco (Telarc) 1995: A Fresh Taste of Thad Jones and Frank Foster (Hänssler Classics) 1996: Leo Rising (Arabesque) 1998: Swing (live) (Challenge) 2002: Live at Feuerwache Mannheim (Bassic) 2003: We Do It Diff'rent (live) (Mapleshade) 2004: Settin' the Pace (GJazz) 2005: Endless Fingers (Arabesque) 2007: Well Water (Piadrum)

As arranger 1961: "Little Man (You've Had a Busy Day)" – Sarah Vaughan with the Count Basie Orchestra - Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (Roulette) 1965: Sarah Vaughan – ¡Viva! Vaughan (Mercury) 1984: "Mack the Knife" – Frank Sinatra – L.A. Is My Lady (Qwest/Warner Bros.) 1984: "After You've Gone" – Frank Sinatra – L.A. Is My Lady (Qwest/Warner Bros.) 1985: "Beyond the Sea" – George Benson – 20/20 1987: Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra – Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (GRP) 1990: George Benson featuring the Count Basie Orchestra – Big Boss Band

As sideman With Pepper Adams The Adams Effect (Uptown, 1985 ) With Lorez Alexandria Early in the Morning (Argo, 1960) With Count Basie Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (Impulse 1962) With Count Basie Orchestra Dance Session (Clef, 1953) Dance Session Album #2 (Clef, 1954) Basie (Clef, 1954) Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams April in Paris (Verve, 1956) The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams Hall of Fame (Verve, 1956 ) Basie in London (Verve, 1956) One O'Clock Jump (1957) Count Basie at Newport (Verve, 1957) The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957) aka Basie and E=MC2 Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958) with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959) Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959) with Joe Williams Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959) Not Now, I'll Tell You When (Roulette, 1960) The Count Basie Story (Roulette, 1960) Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1960) The Legend (Roulette, 1961) Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962) On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962) This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963) More Hits of the 50's and 60's (Verve, 1963) The Board of Directors (Dot, 1967) with The Mills Brothers With George Benson Body Talk (CTI, 1973) Big Boss Band (Warner Bros., 1990) With Kenny Burrell Kenny Burrell Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1956) Swingin' (Blue Note, 1956 [rel. 1980]) With Donald Byrd Byrd's Word (Savoy, 1955) All Day Long (Prestige, 1957) Fancy Free (Blue Note, 1970) Electric Byrd (Blue Note, 1970) Kofi (Blue Note, 1971) With Earl Coleman Manhattan Serenade (1968) With Matthew Gee Jazz by Gee (Riverside, 1956) With Bennie Green and Gene Ammons The Swingin'est (VeeJay 1958) With Coleman Hawkins The Saxophone Section (World Wide, 1958) With Eddie Higgins Eddie Higgins (Vee-Jay, 1961) With Elmo Hope Trio and Quintet (Blue Note, 1954) Homecoming! (Riverside, 1961) With Milt Jackson Plenty, Plenty Soul (Atlantic, 1957) With Illinois Jacquet The Soul Explosion (Prestige, 1969) With Elvin Jones Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62) Heavy Sounds with Richard Davis (Impulse!, 1967) Coalition (Blue Note, 1970) Genesis (Blue Note, 1971) Merry-Go-Round (Blue Note, 1971) At This Point in Time (Blue Note, 1973) New Agenda (Vanguard, 1975) The Main Force (Vanguard, 1976) Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977) Elvin Jones Music Machine (Mark Levison, 1978) Live in Japan 1978: Dear John C. (Trio (Japan), 1978) Elvin Jones Jazz Machine Live in Japan Vol. 2 (Trio (Japan), 1978) Live at the Village Vanguard Volume One (Landmark, 1984With Jimmy McGriffWith Quincy Jones Golden Boy (Mercury, 1964)With Thad JonesMad Thad (Period, 1956)With Ronnie MathewsRoots, Branches & Dances (Bee Hive, 1978)With Jimmy McGriff The Big Band (Solid State, 1966)With Thelonious Monk Monk (Prestige 1954)With Joe Newman The Count's Men (Jazztone, 1955) I Feel Like a Newman (Storyville, 1956) Good 'n' Groovy (Prestige Swingville, 1961)With Horace Parlan Frank-ly Speaking (SteepleChase 1977)With Duke Pearson Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band (Blue Note 1967) Now Hear This (Blue Note 1968) It Could Only Happen with You (Blue Note 1970) With Hilton Ruiz Excition (SteepleChase, 1977) Steppin' Into Beauty (SteepleChase, 1977 )With Woody Shaw The Woody Shaw Concert Ensemble at the Berliner Jazztage (Muse, 1976)With Art TaylorTaylor's Tenors (New Jazz, 1959)With Mickey Tucker Mister Mysterious (Muse, 1978)With Eddie "Cleanhead" VinsonClean Head's Back in Town (Bethlehem, 1957)With George Wallington Showcase (Blue Note 1954)With Cedar Walton Mobius (RCA, 1975)With Julius Watkins Julius Watkins Sextet (Blue Note, 1954)With Frank Wess''' North, South, East....Wess (Savoy 1956) Surprise, Surprise'' (Chiaroscuro, 1996)