Foster’s Jammin’ Does Count Basie Proud
“Spokane Jazz Orchestra Saturday, May 10, The Met
Tenor saxophonist Frank Foster obviously loves what he does. He has a great time playing big band swing music, and his enthusiasm for the genre is infectious.
The opportunity to tire of music, or even retire from it, has knocked on Foster’s door, but he just keeps on jammin’. An accomplished musician since his teens, he joined the famous Count Basie Band in 1953, and stayed on until 1995. Foster became the bandleader upon Basie’s death in 1986.
Foster has apparently not slowed down any in the past two years. He fills his time with projects and fills the stage with musical energy and humor. His big tenor sound blew away the big Met audience Saturday night.
The jazz man has the Basie style coming out his pores. Never at a loss for ideas, notes or licks, his solos in front of the Spokane Jazz Orchestra were in total control. As fast as his fingers moved, Foster never sounded rushed or panicked. He just swung big and relaxed. For a Basie tribute, the SJO couldn’t have picked a better man.
The Spokane Jazz Orchestra sounded a couple of notches better last weekend than the last time I heard them. Ensemble was, for the most part, really tight, balance was good, and solos, featuring three fourths of the band at various times, were solid across the board.
My speculations on the reasons for this improvement include getting it together because a ringer who really knows his stuff was going to be standing in front of the band, coaching and direction from said ringer, and drive and leadership from within the group over the past season. I suspect it was a smattering of all of the above.
I can imagine the thrill of honing swing skills under the tutelage of Foster. The SJO must have been pumped. The band took the first set without their guest, playing Basie classics which included “Moten Swing”, “April in Paris” and Harry “Sweets” Edison’s feature, “How Sweet It Is” with bandleader and trumpeter Dan Keberle filling Edison’s role.
Charlotte Carruthers sang a couple of Foster tunes, some in each set. “Bring on the Raindrops” and “Travelin’ Light” showed great range of expression, dead-on pitch, and true assimilation of the style. “Deedle’s Blues” sounded a little over the top, as if it was too high for Carruthers’ range, and she was pushing a little too hard. Foster was impressed, though. He said, “Get that girl to New York and I’ll find her a job.”
Other than every note Foster played, the big thrill of the second half came on “Lester Leaps In” when Foster went head-to-head with SJO tenor man Gary Edighoffer. Both were stretching so far that the roof needed to be opened to give them room.