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Ronnie Foster: Two-Headed Freep
ByThe rhythm section of George Duvivier or Gordon Edwards on bass and Jimmy Johnson on drums, is like a train, cookin’ right through the passages, and Foster’s out front sounding the whistle. There are some real burners like the cover "Drowning in the Sea of Love" and the lead-off track "Chunky". These tracks are not fusion, but about as fast and furious as a groove gets. Then there are really hip, mellow, lyrical jaunts like the Foster original "Summer Song". Foster’s lively organ set is complemented by some bright vibe work by George Devens (also on percussion), Gene Bertoncini’s guitar (clean and funky!), Gene Bianco on harp, and Arthur Jenkins on congas.
This release is about feel. I don’t have a library of Ronnie Foster releases, so I can’t speak to his body of work, but he doesn’t demonstrate particularly interesting or astounding technique on these tracks. In fact, his soloing chops are a bit sloppy and the solos tend to be lick-filled, repetitive, and lacking in inspiration and direction. Nonetheless, the ensembles clicks and the playing is right-on for the overall context of the album. Foster’s shortcomings on technique and execution don’t at all detract from the vibe.
Personnel
Ronnie Foster
keyboardsAlbum information
Title: Two-Headed Freep | Year Released: 1997 | Record Label: Blue Note Records
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About Ronnie Foster
Instrument: Keyboards
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