I am saddened to hear of the death of jazz drummer Al Foster, who died on May 28th at the age of 82. He was one of the all-time greats.
I only did a few sessions with Al, so I can’t say I really knew him well, but my impression of him was that he was a quiet and sweet-natured man. I can certainly say that he was a pleasure to work with, and a truly gifted player.
Here’s one of the records we did together, recorded at New York’s Skyline Studios in 1991: Steve Khan’s album Let’s Call This, featuring Steve, Al, and bassist Ron Carter. Listen to how Al dances so lightly on the kit (and his beautiful touch on that gorgeous Paiste flat ride):
Rest in peace, sir.