Ronnie Foster's Columbia debut,
Love Satellite, is for all intents and purposes an R&B record swaddled in the trappings of jazz -- the aptly titled "Happy Song" even features drums from no less than
Stevie Wonder, whose groundbreaking mid-'70s Motown LPs profoundly shaped the sound and scope of
Foster's concurrent efforts. Ably supported by a cast of fusion giants including vibist
Roy Ayers, bassist
Alphonso Johnson, and drummer
Harvey Mason,
Foster creates music that is smart and focused yet unapologetically commercial in orientation and presentation -- though played with the expertise and dynamism of jazz, the songs speak to the body at the exclusion of the mind. ~ Jason Ankeny