Ronnie Foster
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Foster is an American funk
and soul-jazz organist
, and record producer
. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records
in the 1970s has obtained a cult following
after the emergence of acid-jazz.
, Foster has performed as a sideman
with a wide range of musicians. He frequently worked with guitarist George Benson
, including playing electric piano
, mini-moog, and composing the composition "Lady" on Benson's 1976 album Breezin'
. Foster has also played organ with Chet Atkins
, Grant Green
, Grover Washington, Jr.
, Stanley Turrentine
, Roberta Flack
, Earl Klugh
, Harvey Mason
, Jimmy Smith
, and Stevie Wonder
.
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul-jazz organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
in the 1970s has obtained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
after the emergence of acid-jazz.
Biography
Born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Foster has performed as a sideman
Sideman
A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
with a wide range of musicians. He frequently worked with guitarist George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, including playing electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, mini-moog, and composing the composition "Lady" on Benson's 1976 album Breezin'
Breezin'
Breezin' is an album by jazz/soul guitarist George Benson.The album marked the beginning of Benson's most successful period commercially. Breezin topped the Pop, Jazz and R&B album charts in Billboard and spun off two hit singles, the title song and "This Masquerade," which was a top ten pop and...
. Foster has also played organ with Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Grant Green
Grant Green
Grant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
, Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
, Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
, Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, Earl Klugh
Earl Klugh
Earl Klugh is an American smooth jazz/crossover jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and composer.At the age of 13, Klugh was captivated by the guitar playing of Chet Atkins when Atkins made an appearance on the Perry Como Show. Klugh was a performing guest on several of Atkins' albums...
, Harvey Mason
Harvey Mason
Harvey William Mason is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz...
, Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
, and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
Discography
- The Two Headed FreapThe Two Headed FreapThe Two Headed Freap is the debut album by American organist Ronnie Foster recorded in 1972 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
(1972), Blue NoteBlue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters... - Sweet RevivalSweet RevivalSweet Revival is the second album by American organist Ronnie Foster recorded in 1972 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars and stated "Although the album sounds dated, the grooves are funky, and Sweet Revival remains...
(1972), Blue Note - Ronnie Foster Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at MontreuxRonnie Foster Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at MontreuxRonnie Foster Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux is a live album by American jazz organist Ronnie Foster recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars....
(1973), Blue Note - On the AvenueOn the Avenue (album)On the Avenue is the third studio album by American organist Ronnie Foster recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
(1974), Blue Note - Cheshire CatCheshire Cat (Ronnie Foster album)Cheshire Cat is the fourth studio album by American organist Ronnie Foster recorded in 1975 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
(1975), Blue Note - Love Satellite (1978), ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
- Delight (1979), Columbia
- The Racer (1986), Pro Jazz
- Droppin' Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Lab (2006), Blue Note