Al Foster

Al Foster, an acclaimed jazz drummer who played with legends such as Miles Davis (1926–1991) and Sonny Rollins, died May 28, 2025, at his home in New York City of a serious illness at the age of 82.

Born in Virginia but raised in Harlem, New York, Al Foster began grooving on the drums as a teen, and by 20 had made his recorded debut when he appeared on a 1964 album by Blue Mitchell, "The Thing to Do." Foster spent the '60s touring and honing his chops, leading him to join Davis' band in 1972. Davis was experimenting with funk-driven jazz, and Foster fit in perfectly, his aggressive grooves providing the backbone for the lengthy sonic experiments of "Dark Magus," "Agharta," "Pangaea," and others from Davis' divisive '70s catalog. He continued playing with the jazz legend through his final works of the 1980s, including on records like "You're Under Arrest," "Decoy," and "Star People." Foster also played with many other jazz favorites, including saxophonist Sonny Rollins, Frank Morgan (1933–2007), McCoy Tyner (1938–2020), and many more. From 1978 to 2022, he also recorded eight albums as a band leader, his most recent being 2022's "Reflections."

Smoke Session Records, run by the club where he most often played in his last 10 years, New York City's Smoke, paid tribute to him on Facebook: "We are heartbroken by the passing of the great Al Foster. Al was a rhythmic genius and a soulful artist whose melodic drumming and sensitive accompaniment inspired - and were integral to - some of the greatest music ever made. We were honored to share many special moments with him over the years, and will miss him terribly."

By Eric San Juan

(Image: Frans Schellekens/Redferns)