Bill Nutt, Correspondent
As a songwriter and producer, David Foster has been on the receiving end of plenty of royalty checks and awards. But he admitted another form of approbation touches him: applause.
“I’ve spent so many years making music and not knowing who I was reaching,” said Foster. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve reached people. This is the fruit of my labor working within the four walls of my studio.”
That “labor” includes such songs as “After the Love Has Gone,” “Glory of Love,” and “The Prayer.” Foster has worked with a broad range of artists, from Alice Cooper to Michael Jackson, from Andrea Bocelli to Madonna.
Foster revisits those and other highlights of his 40-plus-year career on his current tour, which stops at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 6, and the Count Basie Theatre on Saturday, April 7.
“It’s the story of my musical life,” said Foster. “I tried to find an arc in my career.” He and his band perform songs from throughout his catalog, punctuated by videos and story-telling.
Foster stressed that for most of the concert, he will only play keyboards. He is content to leave the vocals to singers Shelea Frazier, Pia Toscano, and Fernando Varela, whom he characterized as “terrific.”
However, Foster did acknowledge that he takes the mic for a medley of songs in the middle of the concert. “Five minutes of my singing is all people can handle,” he said with a self-deprecating laugh.
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Allowing other artists to take the spotlight has been a hallmark of Foster’s career since the 1970s, when he moved from his native Canada to Los Angeles.
“I was a keyboard player, not a frontman,” said Foster. “I had given up the possibility of being a rock star. Instead, I became a session musician.” In that capacity, Foster learned firsthand what goes into songwriting and producing.
“I learned as much from bad record producers as I did from good ones,” he said half-jokingly. “The bad producers would lean on me, because I was the most boisterous, if they needed an intro to a song or a bridge.”
One positive role model, however, was the veteran producer Quincy Jones. “I played for him in the 1970s, and he was amazing,” Foster said. “He was able to get 110% out of every musician.”
Foster also benefit from his work with Earth Wind & Fire, for whom he wrote and produced “After the Love Has Gone” in 1979. “That was a growing period for me,” Foster sad. “I learned a lot from Maurice White (one of the group’s principal artists).”
He also singled out Peter Cetera, who worked with Foster as a member of Chicago (“Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “You’re the Inspiration”) and as a solo artist (“Glory of Love”). “Peter is a fantastic musician,” Foster said. “We still tour together.”
Foster has also had notable success working with female artists, such as Whitney Houston (“I Have Nothing”), Celine Dion (“The Power of Love”), Toni Braxton (“Un-Break My Heart”) and Barbra Streisand (“The Broadway Album”).
“I have six sisters and a strong mother, and that might be why I have a great affinity and rapport with (female singers),” Foster said. “But if you look at my career, I’ve worked with a lot of men, too.”
Foster said that he is heartened by the state of pop music. “Every generation complains about the next generation’s music. But a lot of people now are making great music. It’s just a different style. I don’t know how to do it, but I can listen to it.”
In particular, Foster expressed admiration for such artists as Bruno Mars (“He’s killing it”), Katy Perry (“No one works as hard as she does”), Pink, and Rhianna.
For his part, Foster he is enjoying his tour as a way to reach audiences. “My mission is to leave audiences with a good time,” he said. “I want them to feel like they’ve seen something that they’ve never seen before.”
IF YOU GO
DAVID FOSTER
WHAT: The prolific award-winning producer and songwriter, with his band and three guest vocalists, will offer songs and stories from his long musical career.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, April 6
WHERE: Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown
TICKETS: $85 to $150
INFORMATION: 973-539-8008 or www.mayoarts.org
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7
WHERE: Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank
TICKETS: $35 to $89
INFORMATION: 732-842-9000 or 800-255-3476 or www.countbasietheatre.org.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
● David Foster will perform at the Mayo PAC in Morristown on Friday, April 6, and the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on Saturday, April 7.
● Foster, backed by musicians and vocalists, will perform selections from his long career as a producer and songwriter.
● The prolific Grammy-winning artist has written such songs as “After the Love Is Gone,” “Glory of Love,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” and “The Prayer.”
