Jazz drummer Al Foster, famous for working with legends like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died.
Foster’s daughter, Kierra Foster-Ba, shared the news on Instagram, and his longtime partner, Bonnie Rose Steinberg, told NPR that he died due to a “serious illness.”
He was 82.
Foster-Ba shared footage of Foster performing earlier this year.
The prolific drummer, born in 1943 as Aloysius Tyrone Foster, was inspired early on by bebop drummer Max Roach. According to NPR, he started his career as a studio musician, first working with Blue Mitchell on the album The Thing To Do. In 1968, Foster also played a gig with Sonny Rollins.
Al Foster’s Breakthrough with Miles Davis Came in 1972
Foster got his big break in 1972 when he became Miles Davis’ drummer, a role he held until Davis’ brief