Legendary American funk and soul jazz organist Ronnie Foster recorded his much-sampled Blue Note Records in the 1970s and has gained a cult following with the emergence of acid jazz.

After moving to New York City, Ronnie performed as a sideman with a wide range of musicians and frequently worked with guitarist George Benson, Grant Green, Grover Washington, Jr., Stanley Turrentine, Roberta Flack, Earl Klugh, Harvey Mason, Jimmy Smith, and Stevie Wonder.

The 2022 return of Ronnie Foster to Blue Note Records is an event of synergistic quintessence, completeness, and cool. The organ great’s dynamic new album, Reboot, arrives upon the 50th anniversary of his 1972 Blue Note debut, Two Headed Freap, which is also being reissued this year as part of the label’s Classic Vinyl Series. The first in a run of five stellar early-70s albums, Two Headed Freap featured Foster’s memorable tune “Mystic Brew,” which would later reach the ears of hip-hop fans around the world when A Tribe Called Quest sampled the track as the foundation of “Electric Relaxation” on their 1994 album Midnight Marauders.

Listeners the world over have heard Foster’s soulful playing, whether from his standout performance on “Summer Soft” from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterwork Songs In The Key Of Life, best-selling George Benson albums including Breezin’, or A Tribe Called Quest’s classic hip-hop track “Electric Relaxation,” which sampled Foster’s “Mystic Brew” from Two Headed Freap.

There’s so much synergy in the circuitry surrounding Ronnie’s return to Blue Note. The master recorded over two days at the fabled Capitol Studio in Hollywood, where he first set foot in 1976, recording the multiplatinum-selling Breezin’ LP (to which he contributed the song “Lady”) as a member of George Benson’s band. “Blue Note has always stood for The Art of Jazz,” Foster marvels. “I grew up on Blue Note, listening to all the greats.”

Mightily hoisting the Blue Note organ torch, Ronnie Foster is the last of the Mohicans yet, ever the youngest and oldest man in that room, thanks to the musical osmosis that was poured into him by all of the greats that preceded him and his relentless curious spirit that keeps him giant steps ahead perched, head-bowed, before his sleek, custom hummin’ Hammond XK-5.

Ronnie will tour the UK and Europe in the autumn of 2024 with his trio, which features his son Chris Foster on drums and guitarist Michael O’Neill.

“Ronnie Foster’s body of work looms large in Blue Note’s jazz legacy, and samples drawn from his recordings have been seminal in the shaping of hip-hop. He returns to the label 50 years later with more heart, soul, and groove than ever. We’re thrilled to welcome him back.” says Blue Note President Don Was.

Listen to REBOOT on Spotify here