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

Early life and education

Hooker was born in

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford. According to 2020 Census, the population of the city is 74,135. Among the southernmost of the communities encompassed wit ...

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

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

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 David Spencer Ware (November 7, 1949 – October 18, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Biography Ware was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. While in high school he at ...

. His first recording as a leader was in 1976. His music was too radical to be commercially successful, and Hooker took other jobs to earn a living. This changed after he received praise for a 1988 recording, and he made frequent appearances at the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

from early the following decade. Hooker was a founding member of the Text of Light, a musician's collective that released seven albums between 2004 and 2010. Hooker has led several bands, including a drums–trumpet–saxophone trio and an organ trio. They usually do not feature a bass, "because of the intensity and volume of his drumming". He has also been the drummer in duos with guitarists, including Elliott Sharp and

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moo ...

. 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. The ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' 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". "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".

Discography

* ''...Is Eternal Life'' (Reality Unit Concepts 1982) - featuring David Murray, Mark Miller, David S. Ware, Hasaan Dawkins, and Les Goodson * ''Brighter Lights'' (Reality Unit Concepts 1986) * ''Lifeline'' (

Silkheart Records Silkheart Records is a Sweden, Swedish record company and record label, label dedicated to improvised music and free jazz. Lars-Olof Gustavsson and Keith Knox founded Silkheart in 1985 in music, 1985. In 1991, Jimmy Johnson of Forced Exposure su ...

1988) - William Hooker Quartet featuring Alan Michael, Claude Lawrence, William Parker, Mark Hennen, Charles Compo, Masahiko Kono * ''The Firmament Fury'' (Silkheart 1989) - William Hooker Ensemble featuring Claude Lawrence, Charles Compo, Masahiko Kono, Donald Miller * ''Shamballa: Duets with Thurston Moore and Elliott Sharp'' (Knitting Factory Works 1993) * ''Envisioning'' (Knitting Factory Works 1994) - William Hooker and Lee Ranaldo * ''Radiation'' (Positive Music 1994) - featuring Donald Miller, Brian Doherty, Charles Compo, Masahiko Kono * ''Armageddon'' (Homestead 1995) * ''Gift of Tongues'' (1995) - featuring Lee Ranaldo and Zeena Parkins * ''Joy (Within)!'' (Silkheart 1996) - William Hooker - Billy Bang Duo * ''Heat of the Light (Dream Sequences)'' (Rabid God Inoculator 1996) - Solo * ''Tibet'' (Ummo 1996) - featuring Mark Hennen, Charles Compo, Donald Miller * ''Mindfulness'' (Knitting Factory Works 1997) - featuring DJ Olive and Glenn Spearman * ''The Distance Between Us'' (Knitting Factory Works 1999) * ''Bouquet: Live at the Knitting Factory 4.23.99'' (Knitting Factory Works 2000) - Christian Marclay and Lee Ranaldo * ''Hard Time'' (Squealer 2001) - featuring Jesse Henry, Richard Keene, Donald Miller, Doug Walker * ''Black Mask'' (Knitting Factory Works 2002) - Duets with Andrea Parkins, Jason Hwang, Roy Nathanson * ''Out Trios, Vol. 1: Monsoon'' (Atavistic 2003) - featuring Roger Miller and Lee Ranaldo * ''Yearn for Certainty'' (2010) - featuring Sabir Mateen and Dave Soldier * ''Crossing Points'' (2011) - featuring Thomas Chapin * ''William Hooker Duo featuring Mark Hennen'' (2012) * ''A Postcard From the Road'' (2012) - featuring Edward Ricart and Dave Ross * ''Channels of Consciousness'' (2012) - featuring Adam Lane, Dave Ross, Chris DiMeglio, and Sanga * ''Heart of the Sun'' (2013) - featuring Roy Campbell and Dave Soldier * ''Red'' ( Atypeek Music 2015) - William Hooker Quartet featuring

Matt Lavelle Matt Lavelle (born 1970 in Paterson, New Jersey) is a jazz trumpet, flugelhorn, alto clarinet, and bass clarinet player. Career Lavelle began his music career with Hildred Humphries, a swing era veteran who played with Count Basie and Billie Holi ...

, Mark Hennen, Larry Roland and William Hooker * ''Aria'' ( Multatta Records 2016) - featuring Dave Soldier, On Davis, Mark Hennan, Richard Keene, and Louie Belogenis * ''Pillars ... at the Portal'' (Multatta Records 2018) – featuring

Jon Irabagon Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American saxophonist, composer, and founder of Irabbagast Records. Winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition and one of '' Time Outs "25 essential New York City jazz icons", Irabagon is known for the breadth ...

, James Brandon Lewis,

Luke Stewart Luke Stewart is a retired American people, American mixed martial artist. Holding a professional record of 6–3, Stewart competed in the now-defunct promotion Strikeforce (mixed martial arts), Strikeforce for his entire career. Background Luke ...

, and Anthony Pirog * ''Remembering'' ( Astral Spirits 2018) - William Hooker Trio featuring Ava Mendoza and Damon Smith * ''Symphonie of Flowers'' (ORG Music, 2019) * ''Cycle of Restoration'' (2019) - featuring Mark Kirschenmann and Joel Peterson * ''Full On!'' (2019) - Duos with Mark Kirschenmann, featuring guest Marcus Elliot * ''Nels Cline, Alan Licht & William Hooker Live'' (2020)

References

External links

William Hooker interview by Matt Silcock, Perfect Sound Forever, February 2000.
*The Trove interview by Sharon Pendana {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooker, William 1946 births Living people Avant-garde jazz musicians American jazz drummers American jazz composers American male jazz composers 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians Knitting Factory Records artists AUM Fidelity artists NoBusiness Records artists