Al Foster: Reflections

Drummer Al Foster has played with many jazz greats, including Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Henderson. For his second release on the Smoke Sessions label, Foster teamed up with saxophonist Chris Potter, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Kevin Hays, and bassist Vincente Archer, all with impressive credentials and a talent for swinging. That studio session produced 11 selections, six by band members and the rest by musicians Foster has played with or admired throughout his seven-decade career. Two of Foster’s original compositions, including the opener (“T.S. Monk”) and the closer (“Monk’s Bossa”), are tributes to Thelonious Monk. Potter contributes the lovely ballad “Open Roads,” Payton’s “Six” throws a little funk into the mix, and Hayes’ “Beat” is a medium swinger based on Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice.” A couple of my favorite jazz classics, Joe Henderson’s “Punjab” and Miles Davis’ “Half Nelson,” are given fine treatments here. The album was recorded a week after Foster’s 79th birthday, and all the younger guys showed their respect by bringing their A-game. Kudos to Smoke Sessions for once again bringing some heavy hitters together to record some well-crafted compositions with panache.