I know this thread is old, but I saw Al Foster last night with his quartet at Birdland. What an experience!
He played some of the most beautiful music I've ever seen. So musical and played with so much expression! Comped the bass and piano and sax beautifully and swung as hard as anyone. I sat four feet from the drum set looking at him from the side. He had his eyes closed and a huge smile on his face the entire show. Made lots of mistakes (assumably as a result of his age), but turned every single one of them into music. He'd go for something and when he couldn't finish it properly, he'd laugh, and then just repeat that mistake it make it sound musical.
Chatted with him for twenty minutes after the show and he's just such a beautiful soul. Such a great person. My uncle told him about going to watch Elvin at the Vanguard twenty years ago, and he could never get the seat closest to Elvin since he (Foster) was always in that seat, so my uncle would sit right behind him every time he'd go and see Elvin. He was also so thrilled that a young, beginning drummer was into jazz and coming to see him play live.
It was a lot of long handshakes, laughs, and hugs after the show, and then rushing to catch the train. He provided a musical experience I will not ever forget!
I wanted to extend my stay here in New York to go see Jack DeJohnette play his 70th Birthday Concert in Woodstock tomorrow night, but it would have been too expensive. This made up for it in a big way!