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All Music Guide:
A fine keyboardist, Tom Coster originally studied accordion for ten years. He performed music while in the Air Force, and in 1969 he was in a jazz/rock group called the Loading Zone on electric piano. After a stint with Gabor Szabo in 1971, Coster spent 1972-1978 with Santana. He played at the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival with Billy Cobham, spent a couple of years outside of music, and then primarily led his own fusion-oriented bands (other than an association with Vital Information). He has recorded as a leader for Fantasy, Headfirst, and JVC, and his son Tom Coster, Jr. is also an excellent keyboardist.
Wikipedia:
Tom Coster (born August 21, 1941) is an American keyboardist and composer. 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.
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 include "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.
His son Tom Coster, Jr. is also a keyboardist.
