Saturday, August 16th, 2025, 5:00 PM – House of Hard Bop.
Drummer Al Foster passed away on May 28th, 2025, at the age of 82. A significant portion of his impressive discography dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, when he worked with Miles Davis’s bands. He remained a consistent presence in Davis’s ever-changing lineups. Foster released some eight albums under his own name. This hour features nine tracks from his 2022 album, Reflections, his final album as a leader. It’s a tribute to the key figures in his career: Miles, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner. Foster wrote three compositions.
Lineup: Nicholas Payton trumpet, Chris Potter sax, Kevin Hays piano, Vicente Archer bass.
Al Foster worked with countless musicians from the American premier league. He had a special relationship with Miles Davis, whom he considered his “best friend”: “Miles had his demons, but I loved him more than my father.” His contributions to Miles’ electric fusion groups in the 1970s and 1980s, with his pounding backbeat on the 2nd and 4th beats, were highly appreciated.
T.S. Monk (Al Foster) A tribute to Thelonious. This is immediately apparent in the opening bars. Foster’s extended theme consists of several sections. Pianist Kevin Hays is generous with Monk quotations: “dissonant” diphthongs in the upper register, recognizable accompanying motifs under the wind solos. His solo is largely a stylistic copy.
Pent-Up House (Sonny Rollins) A brisk tempo in this energetic hard bop piece. The syncopated, dancing theme is vigorously exposed. In the original version by composer Rollins, the first 16 bars are repeated exactly. Sax and trumpet play in unison there. This Reflections version offers more variation: during the 16-bar repeat, sax and trumpet switch from unison to exciting two-part harmony.
Blues on the Corner (McCoy Tyner) A blues in a relaxed tempo. But even in a relaxed tempo, tension and energy can build considerably. In this reduced lineup—sax, bass, and drums—Foster’s fine drumming comes more to the fore. Beautiful duo dynamics between sax and drummer, above the imperturbable bass. That bass remains imperturbable as the sax falls silent and Foster gradually moves from accompaniment to solo. Interesting choruses!
Anastasia (Al Foster) Quiet ballad. Quiet solos. But saxophonist Chris Potter still has a lot to express.
Six (Nicholas Payton) Opening: no metre, hesitant, searching lines from everyone. Then the “real” entry. (Ask the listener: How does such an opening work? What’s its function?) Funky. Lots of backbeat from Foster. Kevin Hays plays the Fender Rhodes here.
Punjab (Joe Henderson)
Beat (Kevin Hays) This not immediately accessible piece demands the listener’s attention. After the thematic section, form and harmony are difficult to follow. Growing dynamics and tension in both the trumpet and sax solos. A long, drawn-out story from the piano. And then that fine line from “soft” to “strong” in the percussion—what control… It’s reminiscent of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro—that piece is about a crescendo!—but the upper limit of the timbre remains considerably lower in Beat.
Half Nelson (Miles Davis) We know this piece—among others—from Davis’s 1956 workin’. A few notable differences: the immediately catchy intro by drummer Philly Joe Jones on Workin’ is missing here. And the tempo is considerably slower, which gives more focus to the theme.
Monk’s Bossa (Al Foster) Pianist Kevin Hays opens with a short, repetitive Monk quotation. The subsequent melody in the wind section sounds almost “anti-Monk.” But the theme concludes with that quotation. A well-functioning contrast, as the title already suggests.
House of Hard Bop – Eric Ineke
