William Hooker (musician)

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William Hooker
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Background information
Born (1946-06-18) June 18, 1946 (age 78)
New Britain, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres Jazz, free jazz
InstrumentsDrums

William Hooker (born June 18, 1946) is an American drummer and composer.

Contents

Early life and education

Hooker was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on June 18, 1946. [1] He began to play the drums at the age of 12. [1] In high school, he played in a rock band, then switched to jazz. [1] After graduating from Central Connecticut College, Hooker moved to California and became interested in free jazz. [1]

Career

Hooker moved to New York City in the mid-1970s and was part of the loft jazz scene, playing with musicians such as saxophonists David Murray and David S. Ware. [1] His first recording as a leader was in 1976. [1] His music was too radical to be commercially successful, and Hooker took other jobs to earn a living. [1] This changed after he received praise for a 1988 recording, and he made frequent appearances at the Knitting Factory from early the following decade. [1] Hooker was a founding member of the Text of Light, a musician's collective that released seven albums between 2004 and 2010. [2]

Hooker has led several bands, including a drums–trumpet–saxophone trio and an organ trio. [1] They usually do not feature a bass, "because of the intensity and volume of his drumming". [1] He has also been the drummer in duos with guitarists, including Elliott Sharp and Thurston Moore. [1] Hooker's playing and recordings have embraced a wide range and combination of musics, including free jazz, noise rock, electronics, contemporary classical, and experimental electronic. [2]

William Hooker in 2023 WhookerVlcsnap-2023-09-09-01h41m32s204.png
William Hooker in 2023

The Down Beat reviewer of Hooker's Symphonie Of Flowers album wrote "Hooker uses history to enliven a suite of music that bounds through subgenres and percussive ideas". [3]

"He is an elemental drummer of considerable force, equally at home in free-form jazz and avant-garde rock circles; he also experiments with electronics and turntables". [1]

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Adams, Simon (2003), "Hooker, William" , Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J593400, ISBN   9781561592630 , retrieved March 30, 2020
  2. 1 2 Bush, Nathan. "William Hooker". AllMusic . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ Cantor, Dave (December 2019). "William Hooker: Symphonie of Flowers". Down Beat . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ https://www.williamhooker.com/interviewdetail.aspx?interview=4
  5. ↑ "William Hooker: Pillars... At the Portal". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Drummer, composer, and poet William Hooker joins us to talk about his latest release, Flesh and Bones. The album marks his third full length effort for Org Music, following "Big Moon" (2021) and "Symphonie of Flowers" (2019).: Music for a Free World with Dave Sewelson".
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