Died On This Date (July 26, 2011) Frank Foster / American Jazz Sax Great
themusicsover Frank Foster
September 23, 1928 – July 26, 2011
Frank Foster was a jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger who is most often associated with Count Basie for whom he played for many years. Foster learned to play the sax and other wind instruments at a young age, and after going to college and serving in Korea for the U.S. Army, Foster joined the Count Basie Orchestra where he stayed for the next two decades. While in Basie’s employ, Foster also arranged many of his songs. That list includes “Shiny Stockings,” “Down For The Count,” and “Blues Backstage.” During the ’70s, Foster went off to play with Elvin Jones, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, and Jimmy Smith. He rejoined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1986 and remained until 1995. Throughout his career, Foster also released numerous of his own albums for such prestigious labels as Blue Note, Savoy, and Concord. He also won two Grammys, and in 2002, he was awarded the Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment of the Arts. In 2001, Foster suffered a stroke which left him unable to play, but he continued on as a band leader, composer, and arranger for many years to come. On July 26, 2011, Frank Foster passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was 82.
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Joe Arroyo, also known as El Joe, was a popular tropical and salsa singer who was considered one of Caribbean music’s greatest interpreters. A gifted vocalist since childhood, Arroyo was already singing at popular music venues around his hometown by the age of 10, and during the early ’70s, he landed his first record deal with the respected Discos Fuentes label. He went on to become very popular and successful thanks to his ability to marry elements of salsa, soca, merengue, and zouk. One of his biggest hits, “Rebelion,” is considered one of the greatest salsa songs of all time. Unfortunately, with the success came the drugs and Arroyo battled abuse for many years. That and other health issues forced him to take breaks from his career on several different occasions. On July 26, 2011, Joe Arroyo died of multi-organ failure after spending nearly a month in the hospital. He was 55.