George Murphy "Pops" Foster (May 19, 1892 – October 30, 1969)
was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician, best known for his vigorous
slap bass playing of the
string bass
The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
. He also played the tuba and trumpet professionally.
Biography
Foster was born to Charley and Annie Foster, who "was nearly fullblooded
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
," on a
plantation
Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...
near McCall in
Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish (; ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metr ...
near
Donaldsonville in south
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, United States.
His family moved to
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
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,
Kid Ory
Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, Trombone, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of Music of New Orle ...
,
Armand Piron,
King Oliver and other prominent hot bands of the era.
In 1921, he moved to
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
,
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
,
to play with the
Charlie Creath and
Dewey Jackson bands, in which he would be active for much of the decade. He also joined Ory in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of 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
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where he played with the bands of
Luis Russell 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
Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...
,
Art Hodes, 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
Daniel Moses Barker (January 13, 1909 – March 13, 1994) was an American jazz musician, vocalist, and author from New Orleans. He was a rhythm guitarist for Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter during the 1930s.
One of Barker's earli ...
and Sid Catlett, and on the second session with Pleasant Joe 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
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.[''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, 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 catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Pops
American jazz double-bassists
American 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 trumpeters
Slap bassists (double bass)
American people who self-identify as being of Cherokee descent
20th-century American double-bassists
20th-century American male musicians
The Eagle Band members
Southland Records artists
20th-century African-American musicians