Fred Foss

Fred H. Foss (April 19, 1949 - April 23, 2019) was an American jazz musician (alto, baritone and tenor saxophone, flute) and educator, active in the Washington, D.C. jazz circuit. He was often regarded as the unofficial "dean" of D.C. jazz saxophone by his colleagues.

Fred H. Foss was born on April 19, 1949, in Queens, New York City, to Bertram, a mail carrier, and Mary, a domestic worker. The neighborhood was heavily populated with jazz musicians; Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Heath lived just a few blocks away.

When Foss was 19, he was caught with drugs and sent to a rehabilitation facility, where the music instructor was René McLean, the son of famed bebop saxophonist Jackie McLean. Noticing Foss's talent, the father and son both took him under their wings and helped him land some of his first gigs — including with Hampton and Puente. Foss's musical style was deeply influenced by McLean's teachings. In his later career, he also taught saxophone and was a mentor to such notable musicians as Geri Allen, Greg Osby, Wallace Roney, and Elijah Jamal Balbed.

In 1976, he toured as a baritone saxophonist with Lionel Hampton & His Jazz Inner Circle Jazz Band in France (Jazz à la Huchette). After years on the road with major touring musicians in jazz and R&B — from Hugh Masekela to Tito Puente to the O'Jays, Foss moved to Washington DC in the early 1980s and became a full-time educator. He was a regular guest at the DC Jazz Fest. In the course of his career, he had performed with Okyerema Asante (Yes We Can, 1986), Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, and also with René McLean and Steve Novosel. He performed in many of Washington DC's well-known jazz venues such as Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Alice’s Jazz and Cultural Society.

In the mid-1990s, in association with the Lettumplay program, Foss organized the Fred Foss Youth Orchestra, which became one of the D.C. area’s most important schools for budding jazz musicians. Its alumni include bassists Ameen Saleem, Eric Wheeler, and Williams; pianists Janelle Gill and Noble Jolley; and drummers Kush Abadey and Nate Jolley.

In 1996, he recorded his only album titled The Journey, stylistically in the hardbop and straight-ahead jazz idiom. The album was well-received and scored a standout four-and-a-half-star rating on All Music Guide. Critic Mike Joyce at The Washington Post called the album "an impressive debut," stating "If jazz were a meritocracy, saxophonist and composer Fred Foss would be a lot better known and appreciated." Further recordings were made in 2005 when Foss was part of the backing band of vocalist Kim Mills (The Ruby and the Pearl). 

Foss was involved in four jazz recording sessions between 1976 and 2005.

In 2015, he performed with his own band, in which Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Herman Burney (bass), and Savannah Harris (drums) played, at the DC Jazz Fest with a tribute dedicated to Jackie McLean.

Foss taught music for many years to the students at Hardy Middle School in Washington, D.C. through the Fillmore Arts Program, where he instructed such musicians as rising star bassist Ben Williams and saxophonist Obie Gereau (his godson).

Foss was married to his wife Gloria Foss. They had a son, Brandon.

Foss died on 23 April 2019 at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, at the age of 70. Before his death, the DC Jazz Festival had made plans to honor him with a lifetime achievement award in June.