Gary Foster (musician)

From 1973–1982, he was a member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. He worked in the reed sections of big bands led by Louis Bellson, Mike Barone, Clare Fischer, Marty Paich, and Ed Shaughnessy. He has also worked with Rosemary Clooney, Shelly Manne, Sammy Nestico, Poncho Sanchez, and Cal Tjader.

In 1961, Foster moved to Los Angeles to work as a jazz musician. He taught privately and studied the flute. Shortly after settling in Alhambra, he turned to studio work as a woodwind doubler. His friendships with Clare Fischer and Warne Marsh were vital to Foster's knowledge of improvisation.

For over 45 years he has made his living in studios, recording on albums and for movies and television. His movie credits include Monsters, Inc., Ice Age, Elf, Meet the Fockers, and The Haunted Mansion. His television credits date back to the late 1960s and include several seasons on The Carol Burnett Show, which won several Emmy Awards. He has been in the Academy Awards Television Orchestra for thirty broadcasts. He has performed regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Foster has taught privately and in colleges since 1960. From 1971 to 1991 he was on the faculty at Pasadena City College. From 1984 through 2000 he was visiting professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He was on the faculty of University of California, Los Angeles and California State University, Fullerton. He founded Nova Music Studios in Pasadena for private lessons. He has co-authored method books and has led clinics in colleges and universities.

Norman Gary Foster (born May 25, 1936) is an American musician who plays saxophone, clarinet, and flute. He is considered a crossover artist, performing jazz, pop, and classical music. He has been prominent in the film, television, and music industries for five decades, having performed on over 500 movie scores and with over 200 orchestras.

Gary Foster was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1936. He started on the clarinet at age thirteen. His first musical inspiration was Olin Parker, a school music director and teacher who introduced him to the music of Count Basie, Woody Herman, and many other types of music. He listened closely to the Woody Herman Orchestra's recording of "Four Brothers", which featured saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Serge Chaloff. For Foster, Getz stood out on the tenor saxophone because of his tone. Foster also acknowledged the influence of Lester Young and Charlie Parker.