A very talented tenor saxophonist and arranger, Frank Foster has been associated with the Count Basie Orchestra off and on since 1953. Early on, he played in Detroit with the many talented local players and, after a period in the Army (1951-1953), he joined Basies big band. Well-featured on tenor during his Basie years (1953-1964), Foster also contributed plenty of arrangements and such originals as Down for the Count, Blues Backstage, and the standard Shiny Stockings. In the latter half of the 1960s, Foster was a freelance writer.