# Herman Foster

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Herman_Foster
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Herman_Foster.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Foster
> Source revision: 1326913648
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American bebop jazz pianist}}
{{No footnotes|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Herman Foster
| image           =
| caption         =
| birth_name      =
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1928|4|26}}
| birth_place     = [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1999|4|3|1928|4|26}}
| death_place     = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), New York
| origin          =
| instrument      = Piano
| genre           = [Bebop](/source/Bebop), [jazz](/source/jazz)
| occupation      = Musician
| years_active    =
| label           =
| associated_acts = [Lou Donaldson](/source/Lou_Donaldson), [King Curtis](/source/King_Curtis), [Bill English](/source/Bill_English), [Seldon Powell](/source/Seldon_Powell), [Al Casey](/source/Al_Casey_(jazz_guitarist))
}}

'''Herman Foster''' (April 26, 1928 – April 3, 1999) was an American [bebop](/source/bebop) [jazz](/source/jazz) pianist.

He was blinded during childbirth through the carelessness of a doctor. He began his musical career early playing the violin, clarinet, saxophone, and piano. He became a self-taught pianist. His family moved from Philadelphia to New York City in 1947 where he began to attend jam sessions and then played with [Eric Dixon](/source/Eric_Dixon_(musician)), Dick Carter and the big band of Herb Jones. Then he met [Lou Donaldson](/source/Lou_Donaldson) and they played together from 1953 to 1966. He also worked with [King Curtis](/source/King_Curtis), [Bill English](/source/Bill_English), and [Seldon Powell](/source/Seldon_Powell) in the 1950s, and with [Al Casey](/source/Al_Casey_(jazz_guitarist)) and [Gloria Lynne](/source/Gloria_Lynne) in the 1960s, in addition to playing with his own trio. He returned to work in Donaldson's quartet in the 1980s. In 1996 he married Hisayo Tominaga, a jazz vocalist.

==Discography==
===As leader===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year recorded
!Title
!Label
!Personnel
|-
|1960?
|''Have You Heard''
|[Epic](/source/Epic_Records)
|Trio, with [Earl May](/source/Earl_May) (bass), [Frankie Dunlop](/source/Frankie_Dunlop) (drums)
|-
|1961?
|''The Explosive Piano of Herman Foster''
|[Epic](/source/Epic_Records)
|Trio, with [Earl May](/source/Earl_May) (bass), [Grassella Oliphant](/source/Grassella_Oliphant) (drums)
|-
|1963
|''Ready and Willing''
|[Argo](/source/Argo_Records)
|Trio, with [Herman Wright](/source/Herman_Wright) (bass), [Bruno Carr](/source/Bruno_Carr) (drums)
|-
|1984?
|''The One and Only''
|[Timeless](/source/Timeless_Records)
|Trio, with Jeff Fuller (bass), Victor Jones (drums)
|}

===As sideman===
*1957: [Lou Donaldson](/source/Lou_Donaldson): ''[Wailing with Lou](/source/Wailing_with_Lou)'' ([Blue Note](/source/Blue_Note))
*1957: Lou Donaldson: ''[Swing and Soul](/source/Swing_and_Soul)'' (Blue Note)
*1958: Lou Donaldson: ''[Blues Walk](/source/Blues_Walk)'' (Blue Note)
*1958: Lou Donaldson: ''[Light-Foot](/source/Light-Foot)'' (Blue Note)
*1959: [King Curtis](/source/King_Curtis): ''Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow'' ([Atco Records](/source/Atco_Records))
*1960: [Al Casey](/source/Al_Casey_(jazz_guitarist)): ''[Buck Jumpin'](/source/Buck_Jumpin')'' (Swingville)
*1961: Lou Donaldson: ''[Gravy Train](/source/Gravy_Train_(Lou_Donaldson_album))'' (Blue Note)
*1961: [Gloria Lynne](/source/Gloria_Lynne): ''I'm Glad There Is You'' (Everest LPBR 5126)
*1962: [Gloria Lynne](/source/Gloria_Lynne): ''At The Las Vegas Thunderbird'' (Everest)
*1964: ''Joan Shaw In Person'' ([Sue](/source/Sue_Records))
*1964: Lou Donaldson: ''[Cole Slaw](/source/Cole_Slaw)'' (Argo)
*1964: [Jean DuShon](/source/Jean_DuShon): ''Make Way for Jean DuShon'' (Argo)
*1966: Lou Donaldson: ''[Blowing in the Wind](/source/Blowing_in_the_Wind_(album))'' ([Cadet](/source/Cadet_Records))
*1972: [Johnny Hartman](/source/Johnny_Hartman): ''[Today](/source/Today_(Johnny_Hartman_album))'' (Perception)
*1981: Lou Donaldson: ''[Sweet Poppa Lou](/source/Sweet_Poppa_Lou)'' ([Muse](/source/Muse_Records))
*1981: Lou Donaldson: ''[Forgotten Man](/source/Forgotten_Man_(album))'' (Timeless)
*1982: Lou Donaldson: ''[Back Street](/source/Back_Street_(album))'' (Muse)
*1984: Lou Donaldson: ''[Live in Bologna](/source/Live_in_Bologna_(Lou_Donaldson_album))'' (Timeless)
*1995: Hisayo Tominaga: ''Blues Blue'' (Black Box)
*2000: George V. Johnson Jr.: ''Next in Line !'' (Your Majesty)

==References==
*[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p8542/biography|pure_url=yes}} Herman Foster] at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
*[http://www.discogs.com/artist/364780-Herman-Foster Herman Foster] at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Herman}}
Category:1928 births
Category:1999 deaths
Category:American jazz pianists
Category:American male jazz pianists
Category:Jazz musicians from Philadelphia
Category:20th-century American pianists
Category:20th-century American male pianists

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Herman Foster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Foster) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Foster?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.