George Murphy "Pops" Foster (May 19, 1892 – October 30, 1969) was an American jazz musician, best known for his vigorous slap bass playing of the string bass. He also played the tuba and trumpet professionally.

Biography

Foster was born to Charley and Annie Foster, who "was nearly fullblooded Cherokee," on a plantation near McCall in Ascension Parish near

Donaldsonville Donaldsonville (historically french: Lafourche-des-Chitimachas) is a city in, and the parish seat of Ascension Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located along the River Road of the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is a part of the Bat ...

in south Louisiana, United States. His family moved to New Orleans when he was about 10 years of age. His older brother, Willard Foster, began playing banjo and guitar; George started out on a cello then switched to string bass. Foster married twice: to Bertha Foster in 1912 and Alma Foster in 1936. Pops Foster was playing professionally by 1907 and worked with

Jack Carey Jack Carey (1889 – 1934) was an American jazz trombonist and the leader of the Crescent City Orchestra. The authorship of the famous ''Tiger Rag'' tune is attributed to him by some. During his career, he performed with Sidney Bechet. Carey ...

, Kid Ory, Armand Piron, King Oliver and other prominent hot bands of the era. In 1921, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to play with the Charlie Creath and

Dewey Jackson Dewey Jackson (June 21, 1900 – January 1, 1994) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Early life Jackson was a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Career Jackson began playing professionally at an early age, with the Odd Fellows Bo ...

bands, in which he would be active for much of the decade. He also joined Ory in Los Angeles. He acquired the nickname "Pops" because he was far older than any of the other players in the band. In 1929, Foster moved to New York City, where he played with the bands of

Luis Russell Luis Russell (August 5, 1902 – December 11, 1963) was a pioneering Panamanian jazz pianist, orchestra leader, composer, and arranger. Career Luis Carl Russell was born on Careening Cay, near Bocas del Toro, Panama, in a family of African-Car ...

and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

through 1940. He gigged with New York-based bands through the 1940s, including those of Sidney Bechet,

Art Hodes Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904 – March 4, 1993), was a Russian Empire-born American jazz and blues pianist. He is regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist. Biography Hodes was born in Mykolaiv, in present-day Ukrain ...

, and regularly participated in the national ''This Is Jazz'' radio program. He recorded with the Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet (Bechet, Mezz Mezzrow, Fitz Weston, and Kaiser Marshall) and Septet (on two consecutive dates in 1945, with Hot Lips Page (as Pappa Snow White), Price, Sammybr> (1995) ''What Do They Want?: A Jazz Autobiography'', p. 105. Continuum International Publishing Group
/ref> Sammy Price (as Jimmy Blythe Jr.), Danny Barker and Sid Catlett, and on the second session with

Pleasant Joe Pleasant Joseph, known as Cousin Joe, (December 20, 1907 — October 2, 1989) was a New Orleans blues and jazz singer, famous for his 1940s recordings with Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow. Life He was born in Wallace, Louisiana, United States, an ...

on vocals). In the late 1940s, he began touring more widely and played in many countries in Europe, especially in France, and throughout the United States including returns to New Orleans and California. In 1952, Foster toured Europe with Jimmy Archey's Band. He played regularly at Central Plaza in New York and briefly in New Orleans with Papa Celestin in 1954. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he played with

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

' Small Band. In 1966, he toured Europe with the New Orleans All-Stars but remained based in San Francisco, where he died. ''The Autobiography of Pops Foster'' was published in 1971, with a new edition in 2005. Foster is quoted, "Some of the books are fouled up on the times in New Orleans", "and some of the guys weren't telling the truth." "The critics and guys who write about jazz think they know more about what went on in New Orleans than the guys that were there."''The Autobiography of Pops Foster: New Orleans Jazzman, as Told to Tom Stoddard By Pops Foster'', Ross Russell, p. 1

Gallery

File:Detail, Pops Foster (Gottlieb 02941) (cropped).jpg, Pops Foster with Ole South Band, New York City in February 1947 File:Fate Marable's New Orleans Band on the S. S. Sidney.jpg, Pops Foster on string bass Fate Marable's New Orleans Band on the S. S. Sidney in 1918 or 1919 File:(Portrait of Art Hodes, Pops Foster, Cecil (Xavier) Scott, and George Luggi, Ole South, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1946) (LOC) (5020399582) (cropped).jpg, Art Hodes new band at the "Ole South" lines up with (left to right) George Luggi on trombone, Pops Foster on bass, Henry Goodwin on trumpet, Hodes on piano and Cecil Scott on clarinet and drummer Baby Dodds, is hidden

References

Bibliography

*"George Murphy 'Pops' Foster", ''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'', Vol. 1 (1988), p. 315 *John Chilton, ''Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing Street'' (1972)

External links

Pops Foster (1892-1968)
at the Red Hot Jazz Archive
Pops Foster recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Pops American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Jazz musicians from Louisiana People from Ascension Parish, Louisiana 1892 births 1969 deaths American jazz tubists American male jazz musicians American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters Slap bassists (double bass) American people of Cherokee descent 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians The Eagle Band members Southland Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians