DESCRIPTION:
From the S/T Lp (1983) - Here's an interview of Mr Foster below.
Thanks to Mr Foster for the great picture and for his kindness !!
Buy the Lps here : http://www.billyfoster.com/equistarrecords.html
http://www.myspace.com/billyfosterjazz

Interview of Mr Foster (28/01/2010)

Hi Mr Foster, firstable i have to say that it's a great great honor and privilege to have the possibility to talk with you !!
Here's my questions :

When and where are you born ? Have you sisters & brothers ?
Were your parents musicians ?
When have you begun to do music ?


Mr. Foster : Hi, i was born June 5, 1947 in Gary, In USA. I have no sisters or brothers. My mother played piano by ear. I started piano lessons at the age of seven.

I have a bachelor's degree from Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio and a
masters from Roosevelt University in Chicago

When I got out of undergrad school I got a job teaching here in Gary and
in 1980 took an additional position as jazz piano teacher at Valparaiso
University

L : What are your musical influences, your favorite artists ?
What are your all time favorite LPs

Mr. Foster : I am basically a jazz musician that's why the album has a jazz influence.
For that reason the majority of my favorite musicians are jazz musicians
Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Chick Corea,
McCoy Tyner, Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey etc. - I have
lots of favorites.

Some of my favorite lps are Four and More- Miles Davis,
Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child -Herbie Hancock
Anything by Ellington, Cannonball, Blakey or Oscar

L : How and when " Billy Foster & Audio " was created ?

Mr Foster : In 1979 I had a job playing keyboards with the singing group "The
Impressions" at the time it included Fred Cash, Sam Gooden and Reggie
Torian. That was one of my first experiences with R&B since high school
(in high school we listened to it all the time ,I even had an instrumental
R&B band then) I decided to try and write some R&B tunes myself, both
vocal and instrumental. Fortunately , I had some friends who were
excellent musicians so I asked them to rehearse and make some home
recordings of the tunes. Always On My mind may have been one of the first
of those. My cousin wrote the words for that one.

When I left the "Impressions" I put the "Audio" band together (1979) with
most of these same musicians -- the ones you hear on the album. This band
remained together, with few alterations, for about twelve years.

L : Can you talk about the making of the 1983 Lp ?
" I need your love " is one of my all time favorite song, can u tell me
about the genesis of this wonderful song ? What is your opinion about it ?

Mr Foster : In 1983 I decided that we needed to make an lp. I had continued to write
both music and lyrics through the years and we were performing them on our
gigs with good response from the audiences. "I Need Your Love" was one of
these. I'm glad that you like it.



L : When have you begun to use synthesizer ?

Mr Foster : I first played a synth with the "Impressions" and shortly after, bought
one of my own.

L : What ever became of Brenda Marshall McClure & Glenda Eskew ? (so
INCREDIBLE voices !!!!)

Mr Foster : Brenda Marshall lives in Texas and Glenda lives here. Both still sing. All
of the members of the band remain good friends. Lannie, Rocco, Henry,
Frank, Jeff and I continue to perform together though mostly in the jazz
format.

L : What's your favorite
personnal composition ?

Mr Foster : I've composed a lot of music over the years, my favorite is always the
piece I'm working on.

L : What are your projects in the future ?

Mr Foster : We're currently working on a jazz cd with several of my tunes. That should
be out in April.

L : And to finish, would you like to say something to the french audience who
still love your music ?

Mr Foster : Writing music is dear to me. I am certainly very,very happy when I hear
that the people in France like what I have written. I am humbled and
grateful. Enjoy!!!


All The Best,

Billy Foster