Tom Coster

Tom Coster (born August 21, 1941) is an American keyboardist, composer, and longtime backing musician for Carlos Santana.^[1]

Early years

Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S. Air Force Band.

Career

Coster has played with and/or composed for many groups and musicians including The Loading Zone, Gábor Szabó, Carlos Santana, Billy Cobham, Third Eye Blind, Coryell/Coster/Smith, Claudio Baglioni, Stu Hamm, Boz Scaggs, Zucchero and Bobby Holiday, Joe Satriani, Frank Gambale, and Vital Information. Coster also produced several solo jazz fusion recordings as a leader for Fantasy, Headfirst, and JVC.

Some of Coster's best-known compositions are "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)", "Flor D'Luna (Moonflower)" and "Dance, Sister, Dance (Baila Mi Hermana)" performed by Santana and "The Perfect Date" performed by Vital Information.

Personal life

Coster's son was born in 1966, also called Tom Coster, also a keyboardist and composer.

Solo discography and personnel

T.C. (Fantasy, 1981)
- Tom Coster - keyboards, Linn-1 drum machine programming
- Joaquin Lievano - guitar
- Randy Jackson - bass
- Steve Smith - drums
Ivory Expeditions (Fantasy, 1983)
- Tom Coster - keyboards
- Joaquin Lievano - guitar
- Randy Jackson - bass
- Steve Smith - drums
- Walter Afanasieff - additional keyboards
- Tommy Coster - additional keyboards
Did Jah Miss Me?!? (Headfirst/JVC, 1989)
- Tom Coster - keyboards
- Tommy Coster - keyboards
- Jordan Rudess - keyboards
- Ernie Watts - alto, soprano and tenor saxophones, and Yamaha WX-7 wind driver
- Norbert Stachel - tenor saxophone
- Frank Gambale - acoustic and electric guitars
- Randy Jackson - electric bass
- Dennis Chambers - drums
- Steve Smith - drums
- Larry Grenadier - acoustic bass
From Me to You (Headfirst/JVC, 1990)
- Tom Coster - keyboards
- Tommy Coster - keyboards
- Mark Russo - saxophones
- Corrado Rustci - guitar
- Kai-Eckhardt Karpeh - bass
- William Kennedy - drums
- Armando Peraza - congas, bongos
- Jimi Tunnell - vocals
Gotcha (JVC, 1992)
- Tom Coster - teclados, programación informática, programación de sintetizadores y baterías
- Mark Russo - saxofones
- Chris Camozzi - guitarra
- Alphonso Johnson - bajo eléctrico y sin trastes
- Dennis Chambers - batería
- Norbert Stachel - saxofones
Aclaremos las cosas (JVC, 1993)
- Tom Coster - teclados
- Bob Berg - saxofones
- Frank Gambale - guitarras acústicas y eléctricas
- Alphonso Johnson - bajo eléctrico y sin trastes
- Dennis Chambers - batería
- Raúl Rekow - congas, bata, voz
- Karl Perazzo - congas, bongos
- Steve Smith - batería
- Tommy Coster - Productor, teclados y sintetizador
La zona prohibida (JVC, 1994)
- Tom Coster - teclados, bajo sintetizado
- Bob Berg - saxofón tenor
- Scott Henderson - guitarras
- Jeff Andrews - bajo eléctrico
- Alphonso Johnson - bajo eléctrico y sin trastes
- Dennis Chambers - batería
- Raul Rekow - congas, bata, chekere, canto vocal
- Karl Perazzo - timbales, congas, percusión variada
- Tommy Coster - Productor
Banda sonora de Interstate '76 (con Bullmark) (Activision, 1996)
- Tom Coster - teclados
- Arion Salazar (Third Eye Blind) - bajo eléctrico
- Bryan Mantia (Primus) - batería y percusión
- Jon Bendich -
- Les Harris (bola curva) -
- Dave Schul (bola curva) -
Desde la calle (JVC, 1996)
- Tom Coster - teclados, bajo sintetizado
- Bob Malach - saxofón tenor
- Michael Brecker - saxofón tenor
- Dean Brown - guitarra rítmica
- Steve Cárdenas - guitarra solista
- Dennis Chambers - batería
- Sheila E. - percusión
- Stu Hamm - bajo eléctrico
- Mark Isham - trompeta y corneta
- Tim Landers - bajo eléctrico y acústico
- Tommy Coster - Productor