Delight
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Album Summary
Ronnie Foster's 'Delight,' released in 1979 on Columbia Records, arrived near the close of a decade that had been very good to the Hammond B-3 organ maestro from Buffalo, New York. By this point in his career, Foster had already built a devoted following through his earlier Blue Note recordings, and his move to Columbia represented a natural evolution toward a smoother, more commercially polished sound. The album leans deeply into the soul and funk currents that were flowing strong at the end of the seventies, delivering eight tracks that showcase Foster's gift for groove-centered, feel-good music with warmth and accessibility at its core.
Reception
- Detailed chart performance data for 'Delight' is not reliably documented in widely available sources, so specific positions are omitted here.
- The album was received as a solid entry in Foster's catalog, appreciated by fans of soul-funk organ jazz who had followed his work through the decade.
- Its warm, danceable grooves aligned it with the late-seventies soul market, though it did not break through to mainstream pop visibility in a documented, verifiable way.
Significance
- Released in 1979, 'Delight' stands as a document of the late-seventies intersection of soul, funk, and jazz — a moment when the boundaries between those worlds were beautifully blurred and artists like Foster thrived in the space between them.
- As a Columbia release, the album reflects the major-label push to bring jazz-rooted organ players to a broader soul and funk audience, marking an important chapter in how jazz musicians navigated the commercial landscape of the era.
- The album's eight tracks collectively represent Foster's mature voice as a composer and performer, demonstrating how the organ-led groove tradition carried genuine artistic depth well into the disco age.
Samples
- "Feet" — one of the most sampled tracks in Foster's catalog, its infectious funk groove has been lifted by hip-hop and R&B producers seeking a hard-hitting rhythmic foundation.
- "Argentina" — sampled by various producers drawn to its propulsive opening feel and melodic warmth.
Tracklist
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A1 Argentina 120
3:51
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A2 You're The One 76
5:35
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A3 We As Love 77
4:25
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A4 Let Me In Your Life 113
5:32
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B1 Feet 144
6:44
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B2 When Will I Write You A Song? 150
4:07
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B3 Delight 87
3:39
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B4 I've Got Your Love 80
5:21
Artist Details
Ronnie Foster was an American soul and funk-inflected jazz artist who brought a deeply grooving sensibility to his recordings released through Columbia in the 1970s. His music sat right at that sweet intersection where jazz sophistication met the raw, earthy pulse of funk and soul, making him a natural fit for the era's fertile creative landscape. Foster's work on Columbia reflected the label's commitment during that decade to artists who could bridge the gap between jazz artistry and the rhythmic heat of Black popular music.
