MANDY MORAES May 15, 2022 4:30 p.m. ENTERTAINMENT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT
Glen Foster will play the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery on May 20
In his upcoming recording project, Unnatural Tendencies, Foster hopes to raise further awareness on “heavier” than usual topics, such as missing and murdered Indigenous women, residential schools and the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19. Although he said the album is “a bit of a departure” from his previous works, which he described as “easy-to-digest, upbeat songs,” he believes some subjects are too important not to talk about. “Music is a way to express not only your musical ideas, but also things that are important to us as people,” he said. “So when I see issues in the world that I think deserve not only my attention, but the attention of people around me, then I think it’s something that’s important for me to write about.” To ensure his words respectfully contained the right content, Foster said he sought help from friends on how to appropriately get the message across, friends such as Tal James of the Penelakut First Nation, and Gabriola Island’s Dinah D of the Kerplunks. “You start hearing about it in music – people listen to music for enjoyment. So there’s always a chance to get an important message through,” Foster said On Friday, May 20, Foster will play the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery, as promoted by the Arts Council of Ladysmith and District. For the first time in many months, he will take the stage with his wife, Marg Foster, who sings harmonies and plays percussion. Attendees can expect to see Foster with his usual guitar and harmonica. Friday’s show at 444 Parkhill Terrace will begin at 7 p.m. and run until approximately 8:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at www.ladysmitharts.ca.
JOSEF JACOBSON Dec. 1, 2021 ENTERTAINMENT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT
Nanaimo musician Glen Foster revisits 35-year-old songs on first Christmas CD
‘The Spirit of Christmas’ features remastered versions of two ’80s singles
Glen Foster recently released his first Christmas album, The Spirit of Christmas. Along with a number of new recordings are remastered versions of The Spirit of Christmas and The 12 Guitars of Christmas, Side A and B of a 45 Foster released back in 1986.
“I think they sound just as good today as they did back then,” he said of the recordings. “I really enjoy them. I think we did such a good job of it back then that it’s one of those songs that I think stands the test of time.”
Aside from the two singles from the ’80s, the album includes a collaboration between Foster and local keyboardist Marty Steele called Christmas in Vancouver, as well as Foster’s own instrumental arrangements of Christmas carols.
The instrumental pieces feature Foster on all instruments. He recorded those tracks at home using equipment he describes as “the most basic thing that you could imagine short of just having a tape recorder.”
“It’s not high-tech. I’m not even recording on a computer,” he said. “I can’t cut and paste on it so I had to be very good and practise really hard so I could get good takes all the way through.”
Foster said originally he didn’t even set out to make a CD. At first the idea was only to record some songs to give to family and friends for Christmas.
“That was the whole concept behind doing an album: just record enough songs that I could share some joy at Christmastime and share my music with people and it just grew from there,” he said. “And I realized that it had potential for something greater.”
With the Christmas season approaching, Foster is taking part in a pair of fundraisers for the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank. The first takes place at the Wheatsheaf Pub in Cedar on Dec. 4, the other happens at the Queen’s in Nanaimo on Dec. 22.
The Spirit of Christmas and the original vinyl 45s are available at Fascinating Rhythm, 51 Commercial St., The album can also be purchased from Foster’s website.
David Morrison : Fascinating Rhythm, Nanaimo, BC / www.thefreelancewriter
Professional Writers Association of Canada, Federation of BC Writers
The enduring appeal of Christmas albums can never be overstated, and they can occasionally be big business: released in 2011, Michael Bublé’s Christmas has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and is the only holiday album to have ever scooped the Album of the Year Juno Award. Yes, as this illustrates Christmas music always sells and always will, so there’s plenty of room for more titles yet!
To that end, a decade on from fellow Canadian Bublé’s history-making blockbuster, as the first full calendar year of the Covid-19 pandemic grinds to its weary conclusion 40-year veteran musician GLEN FOSTER (Falcon/Ray Materick) is determined to spread some much needed Christmastide cheer with his unique take on seasonal music in the form of his 9thfull-length release, the GLEN FOSTER GROUP’s The Spirit of Christmas.
Amazingly, albeit unwittingly, the seeds of this project were originally planted 35 years ago. In 1986 Foster issued a now highly collectable 7” (red) vinyl single, The Spirit of Christmas, the flip side being The Twelve Guitars of Christmas. Both titles appear here, now remastered, and are bolstered with ten tracks recorded in 2021 – so, there are 12 in all, neatly mirroring the beloved holiday anthem, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Co-produced by Foster and RICK SALT, the 35-minute collection kicks off with the lead single, Christmas in Vancouver, one of two Foster originals alongside fresh arrangements of evergreen standard Christmas fare. Foster already had the lyrics for the opener on the backburner, but no music to suit until the Glen Foster Group’s keyboardist and local jazz luminary, MARTY STEELE, offered up a seasonal-sounding tune that fitted perfectly in respect of the atmosphere Foster was seeking. In recruiting local singer-songwriter ELISE BOULANGER to join him, the result is a contemporary Christmas duet echoing such holiday duet nuggets as Baby, It’s Cold Outside. The track also features a who’s who of great local jazz players, with LARRY SMITH on tenor sax, and a rhythm section of drummer JAMES McRAE and bassist MARISHA DEVOIN joining Foster, Steele, and Boulanger for a solid start to proceedings.
The second Foster original follows, being the remixed, melodious 1986 title track, intact with Foster’s wife and bandmate, MAGGY (or Marg), and their then 4-year-old son, FREDDY, on vocals, accompanied by BILL KONSORADO on electric piano. Lyrically, with mention of Santa, his sleigh and reindeer (natch); green and red ribbons; holly and ivy; sleigh bells, and snowflakes, the resurrected archive song’s stockings are positively stuffed with yuletide imagery, as all good Christmas numbers should be.
The other two songs with vocals - Christmas Time’s A-Comin’ and Jingle Bells Jig – are both delivered in a joyous country style, but the rest of The Spirit of Christmas is handed over to beautiful instrumental treatments of holiday standards. Foster is known and respected Canada-wide for his silky six-string skills, so his guitar playing is front and centre on the remaining eight tunes, all dedicated to showcasing his fluidity along a fretboard on a dozen or so vintage guitars, as well as dobro and his hand-crafted cigar box ukulele. In doing so, however, while displaying his seemingly effortless musicianship Foster in no way compromises the chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire coziness all holiday albums set out to achieve.
Across The Christmas Song, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Winter Wonderland, Frosty the Snowman, The Twelve Guitars of Christmas– in reflecting its instrumentation as literal a title as you could imagine – and a Christmas Medley comprising O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, and Silent Night, Foster adroitly spans solo folk, fingerstyle, classical, and jazz styles to breathe new life into tunes so familiar they’re indelibly embedded into public consciousness.
The original 45 RPM single’s B-side, The Twelve Guitars of Christmas, was recorded with OSCAR DEMERS on pedal steel guitar, and another of Canada’s great and renowned guitarists, KEN HAMM, on National Steel guitar, so as a wonderful illustration of Foster’s stock-in-trade across an envious range of his impressive guitar collection it’s only fitting it should conclude this Christmas gift of an album.
While The Spirit of Christmas is hardly likely to ‘do a Bublé’ - only Elvis Presley’s Elvis’ Christmas Album has ever sold more copies of a holiday album than the Juno winner – Foster’s lovely seasonal offering is a most welcome addition to a genre that can never grow old or tired. For that, we should be as grateful for it as waking up to a delicious eggnog on Christmas morning.
By Darryl Sterdan TINNITIST
Published - August 20, 2020
https://tinnitist.com/2020/08/20/20-questions-with-glen-foster/
If Tinnitist were a bar, Glen Foster would be a regular. The B.C. singer-songwriter and guitar slinger has been a familiar face in these parts, premiering his videos for Party Out There Tonight, Rockabilly Fever and Brains Brawn & Beauty, along with his latest album Not Far Away. Today, he puts his own brain to work on my simpleminded questions. He deserves a drink on the house for that. Hell, let’s all have one. Crack a Corona and read on:
Introduce yourself: Name, age (feel free to lie), home base and other details you’d like to share — height / weight / identifying marks / astrology sign / your choice.
That’s Glen with one n: one’s enough, two’s too much, three’s ridiculous. I’m a country boy who grew up on a farm and now lives in a city on Vancouver Island. I’m a working musician who plays solo or with my band, Glen Foster Group. I have toured all across Canada more than once.
What is your musical origin story?
Grew up listening to country music on the radio, took Hawaiian guitar lessons at age 10, was a teenager during the ’60s learning rock guitar by emulating my music heroes.
What’s your latest project? Tell us everything we need to know.
We released a four-song EP in April 2019 called Party Out There Tonight that had two very strong singles and professionally made videos that got a lot of attention. We totally reworked the other two songs, recorded five more and released the album Not Far Away in April 2020. This is my best work ever: composition, lyrically, musical performance, vocal performance, arranging and producing, and heart. I’ve incorporated strings, choir, and have blended acoustic with electric instruments for my best production yet over seven albums. I guess maybe seven is my lucky number!
What truly sets you apart from other artists?
From my perspective I’m original, never get stale, and keep creating interesting music that defies pigeon holes and cliches. Others would argue but I only have to appease myself and I don’t try to conform to any genre specifics. Ultimately I’m happy being me.
What will I learn or how will my life improve by listening to your music?
If you ‘really listen’ you’ll identify lyrics that you can relate to, that may in some small way add value to your life, and hopefully confirm that your rudder is aimed in the right direction. When that happens, it’s hard not to relate to music in an emotional way that touches your ‘inner self’ in a very satisfying and comforting way. (Wow, did I really just say that?) That’s what music does for me at the best of times.
What album / song / artist / show changed your life?
Harvest / Heart OF Gold / Neil Young / Rust Never Sleeps concert.
Tell us about the first song you wrote and / or the first gig you played and what you got paid.
The first song I wrote was A Key To Your Heart for a girl who jilted me and broke my heart (it was sad, but not bad!). My first gig was on Hawaiian guitar at a Home and School meeting when I was 10 or 11. No money, I played strictly for adulation. People adored me. lol
What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you gave?
A line in my song Songwriters Circle goes “Now my best I can’t recall, the worst is still hard to forget, but if I never even tried, how would I know how far I’d get?” If you play long enough you may eventually have a ‘magical night’ where everything seems perfect, you perform better than you ever have, you play things you’ve never played before and never knew you could, and the crowd is with you 100%. I’ve had a few of those.
What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you’ve seen another artist give?
Best: The Who at MLG, a guitar smasher / Worst: Wouldn’t be nice to say but drugs and alcohol may have been involved / Strangest: A 22-year-old son singing at his dad’s funeral (!) / Most Memorable: Pink Floyd — Dark Side.
What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
Making ‘relevant’ music.
What living or dead artists would you collaborate with if you could?
Brian Wilson.
What artist or style of music do you love that would surprise people?
I’m fascinated by exotic cultural music, Indian sitar, Tibetan throat singers, Russian folk music. I used highland bagpipes for a recurring theme on my album Leaving The Lagoon.
What are your favourite songs / albums / artists right now?
Misirlou, Apache, Sleepwalk / Surf Music / The Ventures — we’re planning to do a show of all classic guitar instrumental music. It’s very exciting.
How about some other favourites? Authors / movies / painters / philanthropists / you name it.
Author: Edward Rutherfurd / Colour: Red / Movies: LOTR / Painters: Picasso / Guitars: Martin, Gretsch / Car: 66 TBird / Country: Canada / Vacation: Hawaii / Composer: Dylan / Rock Band: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers / Sport: Baseball / Meal: Halibut & chips / Food: Potato.
Who would you be (or have you been) starstruck to meet?
David Foster, but he keeps ignoring me!
Tell us a joke.
I have a lot of jokes about retired people, but none of them work.
What do you drive and why? What do you want to drive and why?
I drive a run-of-the-mill North American SUV that I can fit all of my stage equipment into. I want to drive a black 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville — even better if it was a hearse; then I could fit all my gear into it.
What superpower do you want and how would you use it?
I want to be able to make people stop fighting and just love each other. I would write more songs and sing them if I could make that happen.
What skills — useful or useless — do you have outside of music?
Math – I’m good at counting off ‘bars.’
What do you collect?
Guitars. Memorabilia including press and promo photos of every band I’ve ever been in, meticulously recorded details of every professional gig I’ve ever done since my Hawaiian guitar gig at age 11
If I had a potluck, what would you bring?
Taco salad and Coronas.
What current trend or popular thing do you not understand at all?
TikTok.
Tell us about your current and/or former pets.
I’m a dog person, had them on the farm, had them in the city, man’s best friend.
If you could have any other job besides music, what would it be and why?
No one could ever pay me enough money to leave what I’m doing right now. I’m my own boss so I do whatever I want to do already.
What’s the best advice and/or worst advice you were ever given?
My dad taught me whenever you borrow something, return it in better condition than you when got it. My Grade 12 home room teacher told me ‘just pull in the horns a little bit”! hahah
Hear (and buy) Not Far Away below, and connect with Glen Foster on his website, Twitter and Facebook.
Fri May 15, 2020 Submitted By Cashbox Canada
https://cashboxcanada.ca/reviews-album/glen-foster-not-far-away-new-single-do-you-do/3938
Life and death. Love and hate. Wealth and poverty. Sickness and health. Whatever it is you want in this life — or want to avoid in this life — it might be closer than you think. "Time, distance, events: They're all relative," he says. "Some things seem like they're a long way off when in fact they're very close, while other things seem so close when they're actually far off. Life is full of coincidences and connections and uncertainty."
That's never been truer than today. Even so, there are still some things you can count on — like the impeccable craftsmanship, stellar musicianship and life-affirming positivity this respected B.C. veteran always brings to the table.
Watch and Listen to “Do Like You Do.” Here:
“I don’t care what anyone says,” Foster offers off the top about the new release. “Listen to music however you want, but I still like albums! “My albums are always a journey that takes you somewhere,” he continues. “And the best way to get there is from start to finish. Not Far Away reflects on places, things, and concepts that can seem distant but really are not far away, by measure of distance, time or attitude.”
And so goes the foundation for Foster’s fifth album in a decade with the Glen Foster Group.
Life and death. Love and hate. Wealth and poverty. Sickness and health. Whatever it is you want in this life — or want to avoid in this life — it might be closer than you think. "Time, distance, events: They're all relative," he says. "Some things seem like they're a long way off when in fact they're very close, while other things seem so close when they're actually far off. Life is full of coincidences and connections and uncertainty."
That's never been truer than today. Even so, there are still some things you can count on — like the impeccable craftsmanship, stellar musicianship and life-affirming positivity this respected B.C. veteran always brings to the table.
Not Far Away is no exception. With nine tracks that run the rootsy gamut from country-pop and rockabilly to skiffle, Celtic folk and even soul-stirring gospel — not to mention arrangements that incorporate everything from strings and choir to harp and ragtime tack piano — it's far and away the most ambitious and multi-faceted work of his career. "This album could easily be a vinyl LP with lively uptempo songs on Side 1, while Side 2 is more folky and laid back, with violins and strings," he says, jokingly christening his sound "Cathedral Rock" after the album's title photograph featuring the famous Arizona butte.
For all its grandeur and majesty, however, Not Far Away also houses some of the most spiritual, philosophical and emotionally grounded lyrics Foster has penned. The playfully titled album opener “Dusty Roads: Ode To Dusty Rhodes” is not a tribute to a wrassler, but a moving salute to a stage manager whose biker persona masked a heart of gold. Fittingly, the track is anchored by a gorgeous Fender Rhodes electric piano, superbly played by longtime go-to-guy Marty Steele. Then there's “Brains Brawn and Beauty,” a classic rocker whose lyrics "speak to determination, making it and not being denied," Foster says. He ought to know — he's been performing the song for more than 25 years. For its long-overdue debut on vinyl, he pulled out all the stops, adding a tense silent movie-style interlude that begs to be depicted on video. Equally scenic is “Dalgety Bay,” a Celtic folk number inspired by a village on the Firth of Forth that is home to friends.
Speaking of friendship, connection and closeness: “Fruit of the Spirit” fuses Biblical quotes, honky-tonk country, violin and even a harp to create a song that Foster calls "a message for all of humanity and faiths without borders: Love, joy, goodness, kindness, peace, faithfulness, patience, gentleness, self-control." Finally, “Somewhere Over The River: Somewhere Under The Rainbow” closes the album with lush gospel tones featuring a bass solo by Jay Stevens, tenor sax from Pierre Komen, the Cryptomnesia Choir, and B3 organ played by Foster — all united in a song that came to him in a dream, as sung by Tom Petty during a mid-concert blackout. Between those touchstones, you'll find rockabilly rave ups, party-hearty anthems and even a shot of old-school, harmony-rich skiffle inspired by influential British legend Lonnie Donegan. And of course, all the tracks boast Foster's tastefully blazing fretwork and casually personable vocals.
Whether working the fret board or the microphone, he makes it all look easy. Of course, easy is easier said than done. It only comes with decades of blood, sweat, toil and tears. Foster knows that first-hand. For him, music is a lifelong labour of love. He grew up on a balanced diet of guitar bands like The Ventures and Santo and Johnny, pop icons like The Beatles and Beach Boys, and singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Paul Simon. He's criss-crossed the country with countless bands, backing Ray Materick of Linda, Put the Coffee On fame and fronting his own group The Falcon. He's gigged with everyone from Lighthouse, Dr. Hook and Stan Rogers to Valdy and Sammy Hagar. He's played Massey Hall, the El Mocambo, The Ian Tyson Show and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He worked with Daniel Lanois when the famed producer's studio was still in the basement of his mother's house. Bottom line: He's been there, done that.
Along the way, he's created an impressive catalogue of adventurous, meticulously crafted music: Two Falcon albums, and five with the Glen Foster Group. GFG's 2010 debut Trusted Tried and True featured guests like David Gogo, Gerry Barnum and The Turtle Doves. The 2012 concept album The Reckoning raised the bar with political lyrics inspired by the Occupy Movement and Arab Spring. 2015's acoustic outing Leaving the Lagoon featured bagpipes, while 2017's groovy, celebratory Music Alchemy co-starred a horn section. He's even got a best-selling holiday single: “The Spirit of Christmas,” released in 1986 and re-mastered in 2011 for its 25th anniversary.
If it sounds like Foster changes his tune with every release, you're right. "I don't bother to write a song that sounds like something else," he says. "For me to be inspired about something I'm writing, it has to be new. It has to be fresh. That's the kind of thing that lights my fire and gets me excited. I am kind of a stickler for excellence. But then it's great to improvise. That's when the free spirit will flow."
With Not Far Away finally arriving and a slate of narrative videos in the works, it's abundantly clear that Foster's creative spirit is flowing as strong as ever. Or, to put it another way: So far, so good.
By Darryl Sterdan TINNITIST
Published - April 9, 2019
https://tinnitist.com/2019/04/09/glen-foster-party-out-there-tonight-exclusive-video-premiere/
Glen Foster is throwing a Party Out There Tonight in his new video, premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The veteran singer-songwriter takes his fun seriously on his upbeat new single.
The veteran singer-songwriter and accomplished guitar slinger takes his fun seriously. Especially these days. “Right now I’m into creating a positive message,” he explains. “I want to be encouraging and not just concentrate on all the negative things in the world. As a musician, an entertainer, I want to be uplifting, put a smile on somebody’s face and maybe make them laugh a little bit. I don’t want to be on a platform or be a preacher. I just want to make great music that people like.”
The respected B.C. artist’s positive mission statement couldn’t be made any clearer — or more enjoyably — than it is on his latest single Party Out There Tonight and its high-spirited video. An old-school rockabilly raveup fuelled by a tastefully twangy Telecaster lick and driven by a bouncing boogie beat, the lighthearted retro-rocker is guaranteed to be in heavy rotation at your next hoedown or throwdown.
PHOTO INSERT From left: Comic Glen (That Canadian Guy) Foster & musician Glen Foster.
Of course, that’s to be expected from a song co-written by someone who shares Foster’s desire to make people laugh — along with his name. “Thanks to the marvels of the Internet, I hooked up with the well-known comic Glen Foster — That Canadian Guy,” says the musical Foster. “We even did a show together once to coincide with one of my album releases. It was pretty neat. Then about a year ago, he sent me some lyrics. I came up with what I thought was a very cool guitar lick and wrote the song from there. When we played it for people, everybody liked it.”
The video shoot at a farm came together almost as serendipitously — though it was close. “I got ahold of my friend who owns and operates the farm and said, ‘Let’s have a party.’ He’s got a stage out there and a PA because he has a party there every summer. But this was November. Still, we got everybody on board. Then we had rain for two weeks. It was terrible. But lo and behold, on the Saturday of the shoot, it was warm and the sun was shining. So we went out and lit a bonfire and it was pretty neat. I think it reflects Canadian life: People are bundled up but we’re still outside playing rock ’n’ roll.”
Along the way, he’s created an impressive catalogue of adventurous, meticulously crafted music: Two Falcon albums, and four with the Glen Foster Group. GFG’s 2010 debut Trusted Tried and True featured guests like David Gogo, Gerry Barnum and The Turtle Doves. The 2012 concept album The Reckoning raised the bar with ambitious songcraft and political lyrics inspired by the Occupy Movement and Arab Spring. 2015’s acoustic outing Leaving the Lagoon featured bagpipes while 2017’s groovy, celebratory Music Alchemy co-starred a horn section. He’s even got a best-selling holiday single: The Spirit of Christmas, released in 1986 and remastered in 2011 for its 25th anniversary. But really, the party’s just getting started.
Watch Party Out There Tonight above, or keep up with Foster via his web site, Twitter and Facebook.
TINNITIST Hearing Music 24/7/365
By JOSEF JACOBSON The News Bulletin Published - Apr. 9, 2019
Foster co-wrote title track with comedian also named Glen Foster
Glen Foster’s new EP features an unexpected collaborator: Glen Foster.
When the Nanaimo guitarist learned that there was a comedian from Ontario with the exact same name, he sent him an e-mail saying, “Hey, here’s another Glen Foster,” and they had a laugh about it.
The next time Foster the comedian was performing in Vancouver, Foster the musician invited him to be his opening act at his next show at the Queen’s.
“It was pretty successful. We billed it as ‘The Glen Fosters Experience’ and from there it wasn’t too long after he said, ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea for a song,” Foster said.
The pair started exchanging lyrics online and soon came up with Party Out There Tonight, title track for Foster’s latest EP. The single is being released on April 9 with CD release shows set for April 12 and 13 at the Lighthouse Bistro.
Foster said his comic counterpart was an apt accomplice.
“Being a comedian and a performer, he’s conversant with dialogue and being able to deliver a succinct message to an audience that would either make them laugh or make them listen,” Foster said of his co-writer. “So between the two of us we had some pretty good ideas.”
The other three songs on the album are Feel Alright, a tune that’s been part of Foster’s repertoire for 20 years; Rockabilly Fever, a song he wrote to play at the rockabilly festival in Chemainus; and Somewhere Over the River, which Tom Petty gave to him in a dream.
“After [Petty] died I had a dream that he was on stage and I’m in the audience watching and the power went out,” Foster said. “So he’s on stage with nothing but a guitar so somebody yells out, ‘Just play something we can all sing along to,’ and so he started singing this song, ‘Somewhere over the river, not far away,’ and I woke up.”
The song includes a choir recorded at Christ Community Church.
Foster said Party Out There Tonight will form the basis of his next CD. In the fall he plans to record a few more songs and eventually release a full-length record.
WHAT’S ON … Glen Foster CD release at the Lighthouse Bistro on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m. No cover.
By Rachel Stern THE NEWS BULLETIN
Published - July 4, 2017
Unexpected events can create magical moments when it comes to creating music.
Nanaimo musician Glen Foster discovered the beauty of the unpredictable during the creation of the Glen Foster Group’s latest album Music Alchemy. The album features a number of brass instruments. Foster had never arranged for a brass section before, although he had collaborated with numbers brass instrument musicians, and had to discover the range of the instruments, the timbers and how they harmonize with other instruments. “The idea for the title is that I thought of all these different brass instruments coming into play … and the word I came up with was alchemy. It’s like a chemistry of things being put together,” said Foster. “The historical meaning of alchemy goes back to the ancient days where they tried to make gold out of things like lead.Foster said found a definition of alchemy as a process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, which fit with his album because he thought of it as a kind of musical chemistry and at times during the recording session “little magical things” begin to happen. ” You get this harmonization or blending of sounds or melodies that you are just not anticipating, you don’t plan out, but all of a sudden they appear and it’s just really neat,” he said. The Glen Foster Group is comprised of Foster, Marg Foster, Glenn Olsen, Pat Shonwise and Marty Steele. The group also collaborated with a number of special guests including Mark Crissinger, David Gogo, Paul Gogo, Dwight Gray, James McRae, Rick Salt and others. “Because I had so many people involved it really did create a kind of, I don’t know if I would use the word synergy, but that kind of thing where you share ideas and people come up with new concepts or like a little melody line that I wouldn’t have thought of, so it adds to the richness of the project having more collaborators,” said Foster. Foster said he needs to be inspired to write songs for the album. He can’t just sit down, pick up a guitar and start creating pieces. “There needs to be a seed and it moves to a simple instrument. It could be a piano or a cigar box guitar or something and then once I get the melody and rhythm happening on an instrument then the lyrics kind of follow,” he said. The Glen Foster Group performs during a album release event on July 14 and 15 at the Lighthouse Bistro and Pub, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. No cover. For more information about the Glen Foster Group, please visit www.glenfoster.ca. arts@nanaimoubulletin.com
By David Morrison (Fascinating Rhythm, Nanaimo / www.thefreelancewriter.ca) Published - July 4, 2017
A good look at the photograph adorning the sleeve of this new offering from Nanaimo stalwarts the Glen Foster Group reveals clues as to the music the CD within holds. In what appears to be a musical laboratory, a gentleman in bright yellow safety clothing and hardhat is lowering various brass instruments into a ‘radioactive’ hopper, the resultant alchemy producing a gleaming gold bar from the outlet beneath. Supervising the process, Foster, wearing a lanyard and holding a clipboard, is holding one of these bars, as if checking it for quality or purity. Simply put, the image is a metaphor for Foster’s new sonic direction on the excellent Music Alchemy. Interestingly, he has deemed it ‘an experiment,’ but I see it as such a successful one he should continue in this vein if resources allow! Powered along by a 7-piece brass section, this release is an all-star affair on which Foster has thrown absolutely everything into the pot for a most rewarding listen. Taking cues from classic Stax, Atlantic, the musical heritage of New Orleans, a touch of funk and even a little country, Music Alchemy is by far Foster’s most fully realized project to date. Aside from his regular band the singer-songwriter-guitarist has recruited a veritable who’s who of respected local rock, blues and jazz veteran talent, amounting (including the brass section) to 21 guest contributors in all. At times reminiscent of such as Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and their rock-soul ilk, Music Alchemy is most certainly all killer, no filler. Every song has been meticulously arranged and features one or more of the guest musicians, either soloing or making a telling rhythmic or melodic contribution, and it all adds up to a powerful collection. To this end there are some truly thrilling moments, such as the wonderful bridge in Blue Monkey; David Gogo’s searing solo on the fun Cactus Whiskey & Alligator Steak (the sleeve design also featuring an alligator, I might add); the honky-tonk vibe of Stepping Out on Saturday Night, and the all-hands-on-deck brilliance of the inventive instrumental closer, Groove Eleven. Lyrically, although there is a little introspection in the superior ballad Why in the World, Music Alchemy never gets too serious, a factor that greatly benefits the overall soul party mood. The aforementioned Cactus Whiskey… is a lighthearted look at survival in the bayou, and there is even a witty ode to the popular Italian liqueur, Sambuca. All in all everyone involved with this ambitious recording seems to be having a great time, and the consequence is quite simply a rock solid and natural sounding album that should see Foster’s stock rise even higher. Going back to that sleeve image and Foster’s apparent inspection of the product in his hands, it seems to me that the quality and purity of that gold bar in his hands are extremely high, perhaps even 24 karats!
By Rachel Stern THE NEWS BULLETIN Published - Jan 20, 2016
Sometimes leaving a comfortable place in a person’s life can cause pain. Occasionally it leads to adventure and a change for the better. The theme of leaving places or people behind is explored on the Glen Foster Group’s latest album, Leaving The Lagoon. Foster, lead vocalist and guitarist, was inspired by his canoe and kayak trips and travels on Cortes Island and Powell River. “A lot of the songs refer to being on the water” said Foster. The beauty of nature and being out there to find a place of inner peace is quite inspirational.” The flow of waves, rivers or the currents of lakes also inspire Foster’s lyrics. “You get the rhythm of the waves, which is like the music, it has a rhythm to it,” he said. Over his travels, Foster collected pieces of information, such as interesting place names that stuck out. Places like the Jail House Café, in Powell River, are some of the “funny little names of places’ Foster collected. When it came to writing the songs he used this information, picked up his guitar and came up with a melody to compose his lyrics. “The lyrics are an important aspect of my music. A lot of them tell stories and talk about situations and descriptions,” said Foster. Telling a story is an essential part of Foster’s art. The latest work is a concept album, an album that expresses a theme. “The lagoon kind of symbolizes your comfort zone or happy place and then leaving, you need to get out of the comfort zone or you’re forced to leave,” said Foster. Foster said leaving that comfortable place can allow people to find adventure and the results can be either good or bad. Foster is influenced by different musical styles. It’s reflected on the latest album. He collaborated with various musicians including Caleb McIntyre, who plays bagpipes; Marty Steele who plays piano and vocalists Susan Boland and Marg Foster. Other musicians he worked with on the album include Pat Shonwise, the Glen Foster Group bassist; Glenn Olsen on drums; Gerry Barnum, Steve Eakins and Dwight Gray. Foster said he loves collaborating with artists because they each bring a different perspective to the music he might not have thought of while creating it. He’s been a musician for more than 30 years. It’s the connection with people he enjoys, both fans and other musicians. Musical influences include Bob Dylan and Neil Young for their use of lyrical stories on their albums. Vocal influences include The Beach Boys. And one of Nanaimo’s great guitar players, David Gogo, influences his guitar skills. Foster actually taught Gogo guitar in the past. The Glen Foster Group is hosting a CD release party for Leaving The Lagoon with special guest Mark Crissinger this Saturday (Jan.23) 9pm to midnight at The Vault Café. Admission is $5.
By Julie Chadwick THE STAR
Published - May 3, 2013
"There's a city in flames, a flag on fire, the streets are occupied. Nations rage, war is waged, and access is denied." So begins the title track off The Reckoning, a new album from local singer/songwriter Glen Foster that he will debut at The Vault on Saturday. One might be forgiven for thinking Foster refers nostalgically to some past era of political strife -- the late '60s perhaps -- but the song's 'reckoning' is about the exposure of the financial scandal perpetrated by U.S. banks that lead to the '08 stock market collapse. Vietnam-era folk music used to be saturated in the political climate of the times, said Foster. He laments that though political expression has continued to flourish in environments like the Occupy movement, popular music hasn't followed suit. "There's a lot of focus on dance and the rhythmic aspect of pop music that has extremely thin lyrical content, to put it mildly," said Foster with a chuckle. "It's a focus instead of the typical 'I love you, baby' love songs." It is part of what has formed the basis of Foster's decision to stay independent throughout his 30-plus years of music-making. "There's nobody dictating that you have to go on the road, or that you have to play certain venues, or record in certain places," said Foster. "No one dictating your sound and making you somebody you're not comfortable being," he added. After studying jazz, Chet Atkins-style guitar and Hawaiian and classical guitar, in part at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Foster took to the road and made a living as a traveling musician for 10 years. Though he says musically his sound is "all over the place" in terms of genre, he considers Bob Dylan and Neil Young to be formative influences. He has opened for Sammy Hagar, Dr. Hook, Jose Feliciano, Valdy and Jesse Winchester, to name a few. In the early '80s, tired of a life on the road, Foster settled down and spent the next ten years teaching at Ferguson Music. Though he remains creatively 'single,' Foster's albums often feature local performers like blues guitarist David Gogo, blues harmonica player Gerry Barnum, and vocalists The Turtle Doves. He also produces recordings for other artists and operates his own indie record label and publishing company called Rescue Records. The Reckoning is Foster's fourth CD, and was recorded in Nanaimo with producer Rick Salt. His CD release party is at the Vault, 499 Wallace Street, on Saturday (May 4) from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 and there will be CDs available to purchase.