Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 8-5-22

Feature
After 40 Years, The IgG Band Is Back
DR. CLIFFORD BECKER
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
In 1979, a group of medical stu- dents from Meharry Medical College decided to take their love of music to a new level. The group, comprised of Kendal Foster, Clifford Becker, Murray Riggins, Solomon Pollard, and Kermit White, had come from Morehouse Col- lege and Talladega College. Nashville was hopping with all kinds of music. From Earth, Wind, and Fire to Parliament Funkadelic, they were immersed in music.
Back in 1977, Dr. Foster, Dr. Becker, and Dr. Riggins started talking about getting a band together. Dr. Foster had been playing and writing music since his Talladega College days. hestated that music was a huge part of his life and dovetailed with Foster’s vision.
The group started practicing and brought on members Pol- lard and White. They entered the Meharry Talent show.
“We didn’t win but we gained some great information and learned that the audience really liked our original songs,” Dr. Becker stated.
“We started thinking about recording an album. We actually bought a book that explained the entire process. With that in hand, we did record an album.”
The medical students did not shy away from using their scien- tific backgrounds in their music. They named the band IgG, after an immunoglobulin that aids the body’s antibodies that help fight
Dr. and Mrs. Kendal and Michelle Foster
off diseases. Their album is called Ultra/Sound.
Forty years later, Dr. Becker was the first to hear that their album was enjoying a ren- aissance when a vinyl collector wanted to buy the album, “I was so surprised he contacted me. I was totally unprepared when a British label approached us about a reissue.”
Based in London, Kalita Records is an archival album dealer. The owner approached Dr. Becker about the rights to the album and wanting to pro- mote it.
Dr. Foster has particularly special feelings about the album and the single, Daydreaming, has the vocals of his beloved late wife, Michelle. Michelle An- drews Foster, Tampa native and daughter of the late Dr. William and Nancy An- drews, has deep roots in Tampa.
Mrs. Foster passed in Feb- ruary 2020. Daydreaming was recorded when Mrs. Foster was 5 months pregnant with her first child.
“All she wanted to do was come home to her mama for Christmas. We were trying to fin- ish the song. She was not really feeling well, but she laid down the most beautiful vocals. I listen to the album every day. I love hearing my wife's voice,” Dr. Foster reminisced.
The album is currently sold out on Kalita Records’ website, https://kalitarecords.band- camp.com/album/ultra-sound. Stay tuned for more.
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