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Tony Foster

UPDATE! Seattle-based pianist and composer Tony Foster has released a new trio recording in June of 2016. The recording is entitled "Project Paradiso: Tony Foster Plays Ennio Morricone and Henry Mancini" and features Foster's arranging of 9 Morricone and Mancini compositions along with one of his own originals entitled "Mr. Mancini." This project is an exploration of the music of great film composers and no better place than to start with 2 iconic composers Ennio Morricone and Henry Mancini! The recording features Canadian drummer Joe Poole and Seattle bassist Nate Parker. Some well-known classics like "Theme From The Pink Panther" and "Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso" are on the recording, but so are some less- known but powerful melodies which Foster artfully arranged for his trio!

May 2009 marked the release of jazz pianist and composer Tony Foster's debut trio recording entitled "In Between Moods". The album charted in the top 50 for jazz radio in North America and was named to many radio DJ's "top 10 albums of 2009" lists in addition to receiving many outstanding reviews. The recording features Joe Poole on drums and Russell Botten on bass. The album showcases Foster's composing and arranging skills as well as tracks paying tribute to some of Foster's key influences including Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal. In April and May 2009 Foster completed a series of performances in Torino Italy and Nice France, followed by a return to Vancouver for featured shows with his trio at the June 2009 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Prior to his debut CD release, Foster has been featured with his own trio on CBC’s (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) nationally broadcast JAZZBEAT as well as the CBC program Hot Air produced by Neil Ritchie. Foster performs and tours frequently with his trio, as a solo pianist, as a sideman for many instrumentalists and vocalists, and sometimes at the Hammond B-3 organ.

Tony Foster was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He received his initial musical training early on, in the form of classical piano lessons privately. In school bands, his main instrument became the trumpet. His studies on the trumpet continued until college, and it was not until this time that his focus changed to piano. Foster began playing with various university ensembles on the piano (highlighted by performances with guests such as jazz saxophone legend Phil Woods), and graduated in 1996 from UBC (University of British Columbia) with a Commerce Degree. Eventually choosing to pursue a musical career, he was a 1998 recipient of the Fraser MacPherson Scholarship. Foster then participated in a residency at the Banff Jazz Workshop in 2000 where he studied jazz piano and performed with notable jazz artists including saxophonist David Liebman, multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson, pianist Kenny Werner, and bassist Ray Drummond.

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Tony Foster

Read "Take Five With Tony Foster" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Tony Foster: Currently based in Seattle, Washington, Tony Foster was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He received his initial musical training early on, in the form of classical piano lessons privately. In school bands, his main instrument became the trumpet. His studies on the trumpet continued until college, and it was not until this time that his focus changed to piano. Foster graduated from the University of British Columbia with a business degree, but eventually chose ...

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Radio

Tony Foster's "In Between Moods" Moving up to #12 on CMJ Radio Charts!

Tony Foster's "In Between Moods" Moving up to #12 on CMJ Radio Charts!

Source: Lisa Reedy Promotions

In Between Moods will be #12 on the next CMJ Jazz Chart, Issue 1135 of CMJ's New Music Report Magazine to be published in a few weeks. The album marks the debut of Canadian-born pianist and composer Tony Foster, and mixes up some inspired Foster originals with some cover tunes (where Foster pays tribute to some of his influences like Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal) to create several different moods on the album. Foster's arrangement of “Take The 'A' Train" ...

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Technology

Tony Foster's "In Between Moods" Tops Jazz Critic's List of "Top 15 Albums of 2009"!

Tony Foster's "In Between Moods" Tops Jazz Critic's List of "Top 15 Albums of 2009"!

Source: Michael Ricci

Jazz critic Paul J. Youngman says “These are some of my favorites from this past year. They are listed in no particular order. The common thread, they all have a strong jazz sensibility, they're cd's that I want to play over and over again." Making that list of 15 from 2009 is Tony Foster's debut trio release entitled In Between Moods. The album features the Canadian-born Foster at the piano with Vancouverites Joe Poole on drums and Russell Botten on ...

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Recording

Tony Foster's 2009 Trio Debut "In Between Moods" Makes List of "Top 10 Albums of 2009"!

Tony Foster's 2009 Trio Debut "In Between Moods" Makes List of  "Top 10 Albums of 2009"!

Source: Michael Ricci

CBC Radio host Tim Tamashiro who hosts the CBC radio show “TONIC" has included Canadian-born jazz pianist and composer Tony Foster's 2009 debut album “In Between Moods" in his picks for the Top 10 albums of 2009! “Tim Tamashiro, weekend Tonic host, is putting his hat in the ring with his Top Ten, and inviting you to do the same -- whatever the genre(s) of music you prefer. Here are Tim's picks for '09 (he'll also play them on the ...

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Radio

Tony Foster's 2009 Trio Debut "In Between Moods" Back on the JazzWeek Charts Next Week At #48!

Tony Foster's 2009 Trio Debut "In Between Moods" Back on the JazzWeek Charts Next Week At #48!

Source: Lisa Reedy Promotions

After debuting at #48 on the JazzWeek jazz radio charts back in October 2009, jazz pianist and composer Tony Foster's excellent trio debut release entitled “In Between Moods" returns to the charts once again next week at #48! To keep up with all the upcoming shows and news, visit the homepage at TonyFosterMusic.com!

About Tony Foster May 2009 marks the release of jazz pianist and composer Tony Foster's debut trio recording entitled In Between Moods. The recording features ...

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Recording

Look Who is #2 on Canada's Chart Attack Jazz & Blues Chart This Week: Tony Foster's "In Between Moods"

Look Who is #2 on Canada's Chart Attack Jazz & Blues Chart This Week: Tony Foster's "In Between Moods"

Source: Lisa Reedy Promotions

The 2009 release of pianist/composer Tony Foster and his trio entitled In Between Moods starts off this week at the #2 spot on the Canadian campus radio charts tracked at ChartAttack.com! About CHARTAttack.com Launched in 1996, CHARTattack.com is Canada's premier music website. Updated daily, the award-winning music information website is the leading online reference for Canada's music industry. As the premier Canadian music content supplier to The Canadian Press, CHARTattack.com was the first online service for the Canadian music/entertainment industry. ...

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Radio

Tony Foster's 2009 Piano Trio Release "In Between Moods" Debuts at #23 on CMJ Jazz Chart!

Tony Foster's 2009 Piano Trio Release "In Between Moods" Debuts at #23 on CMJ Jazz Chart!

Source: Lisa Reedy Promotions

In Between Moods will debut on the CMJ Jazz Chart at #23 in issue 1129 of CMJ's New Music Report Magazine.

Well, what exactly is CMJ?

College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company most famous for its annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30 lists sent ...

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Recording

Pianist/Composer Tony Foster 2009 Debut Trio Release "In Between Moods"

Pianist/Composer Tony Foster 2009 Debut Trio Release "In Between Moods"

Source: All About Jazz

Canadian-born jazz pianist/composer Tony Foster puts all the jazz piano influences together to create a personal sound running the emotional gamut of explosive to soulful to melancholic. An equally gifted composer and arranger, his trio takes you on a trip.

May 2009 marks the release of jazz pianist and composer Tony Foster's debut trio recording entitled In Between Moods. The recording features Joe Poole on drums and Russell Botten on bass. The album showcases Foster's composing and arranging skills as ...

"One thing I appreciate about Tony Foster's playing, is its very fresh phrasing..he kind of strikes sparks from the piano with really inspired use of time that not many players seem to come by so easily." Katie Malloch, CBC Radio

Project Paradiso: A tribute to Morricone and Mancini, this is not to be confused with the Mancini project of many years ago that found him moving in this direction. A jazz piano date with a set card loaded with can’t miss material, Foster steps up to the plate and acquits his vision throughout. Not hokey, lounge piano Mancini, this cat opens your ears to joys you might not be finding on your play lists and drives the point home by finishing off with a dandy “Pink Panther” version. Solid stuff throughout jazz piano fans as well as film music fans will flip for. 2

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

In Between Moods

Self Produced
2009

buy

Jazzinit

OA2 Records
2007

buy

Mr. Mancini

From: Project Paradiso: Tony Foster...
By Tony Foster

Cakewalk

From: In Between Moods
By Tony Foster

The Thought of You

From: Jazzinit
By Tony Foster

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