Ronnie Foster

Since his initial solo style favored funky vamps instead of risky improvisation, organist Ronnie Foster was frequently dismissed by jazz purists during the peak of his career in the first half of the '70s. However, he was a talented mainstream funk and soul-jazz keyboardist who managed to cultivate a successful career as a sideman (working frequently with George Benson, in particular) and producer during the late '70s, '80s, and '90s. Furthermore, his '70s records for Blue Note became cult items among a new generation of listeners raised on acid jazz. Even if he rarely led a s...