Beyond the Bandstand: Jazz And Lessons From A Life In Motion

Beyond the Bandstand: Jazz And Lessons From A Life In Motion

The Mentor Who Changed Everything

Remembering Billy Foster, the man who introduced me to jazz—and taught me how to live.

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Todd Coolman
Jun 21, 2026
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I have written about mentors before, and today I find myself returning to the subject.

Mentors can shape the course of a life. Sometimes they help us discover talents we didn’t know we possessed. Sometimes they open doors we didn’t even know existed. Their influence can be profound—so profound, in fact, that it can alter the entire direction of a career …

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