Hamid Drake

Hamid Drake (born August 3, 1955) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist.

By the close of the 1990s, Hamid Drake was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz and improvised music. Incorporating Afro-Cuban, Indian, and African percussion instruments and influence, in addition to using the standard trap set, Drake has collaborated extensively with top free jazz improvisers. Drake also has performed world music; by the late 1970s, he was a member of Foday Musa Suso's Mandingo Griot Society and has played reggae throughout his career.

Drake has worked with trumpeter Don Cherry, pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, Fred Anderson, Archie Shepp and David Murray and bassists Reggie Workman and William Parker (in many lineups)

He studied drums extensively, including eastern and Caribbean styles. He frequently plays without sticks, using his hands to develop subtle commanding undertones. His tabla playing is notable for his subtlety and flair. Drake's questing nature and his interest in Caribbean percussion led to a deep involvement with reggae.

Early life

Hamid Drake (birth name Henry Lawrence Drake) was born in 1955 in Monroe, Louisiana, and his family moved to Evanston, Illinois, when he was a child. There he started playing with local rock and R&B bands, which eventually brought him to the attention of Fred Anderson, an older saxophonist who had also moved to Evanston from Monroe as a child decades before. Drake worked with Anderson from 1974 to 2010 including on Anderson's 1979 ''The Missing Link''. At Fred Anderson's workshops, a young Hamid met Douglas Ewart, George E. Lewis and other members of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Another of the most significant percussion influences on Drake, Ed Blackwell, dates from this period. Hamid's flowing rhythmic expressions and interest in the roots of the music drew like~minded musicians together into a performance and educational collective named th
Mandingo Griot Society
which combined traditional African music and narrative with distinctly American influences.

Career

Don Cherry, who Drake first met in 1978, was another continuing collaborator. After meeting Don Cherry, Hamid and fellow percussionist Adam Rudolph travelled with Don to Europe, where they explored the interior landscape of percussion and shared deeply in Mr. Cherry's grasp of music's spiritually infinite transformational possibilities. Drake worked extensively with him from 1978 until Cherry's death in 1995.

Drake was one of the founders, along with Foday Musa Suso and Adam Rudolph, of The Mandingo Griot Society. His other frequent collaborators include New York bassist William Parker, saxophonist David Murray, composer and percussionist Adam Rudolph, German free jazz saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and drummer Michael Zerang. Hamid Drake has played and/or recorded with: Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Fred Anderson, Herbie Hancock, Archie Shepp, bassist William Parker (in many lineups), Reggie Workman, Yusef Lateef, Wayne Shorter, Bill Laswell, David Murray, Joe Morris, Evan Parker, Paolo Angeli, Peter Brötzmann, Jim Pepper, Roy Campbell, Matthew Shipp, Sabir Mateen
Rob Brown
Mat Walerian, Marilyn Crispell, Johnny Dyani, Dewey Redman, Joe McPhee, Adam Rudolph, Hassan Hakmoun, Joseph Jarman, George E. Lewis, John Tchicai, Iva Bittová, Ken Vandermark, and almost all of the members of the AACM. These diverse artists all play in a broad range of musical settings which allows Drake to comfortably adapt to north and west African and Indian impulses as well as reggae and Latin. Although engaged as sideman, he has also devoted his energies and creativity as a band leader; focusing on his own groups and projects such a
Bindu
and Indigo Trio.

Drake has frequently appeared with jazz legend Archie Shepp in various configurations. The most common is the group ''Phat Jam'' along with human beat boxer and rapper Napoleon Maddox. Drake also works with Maddox in the jazz hip hop group ''ISWHAT?!''. Drake performs with European jazz groups, recording with Hungarian musicians such as Viktor Tóth and Mihály Dresch. In addition to the drum set, Drake performs on the frame drum, the tabla, and other hand drums.

Winter solstice concerts by Drake & Zerang Duo

Since 1991 Drake has collaborated with fellow percussionist Michael Zerang to present annual winter solstice concerts. Both musicians have been committed to return to Chicago, from wherever they may be performing, to stage the solstice event which commemorates the northern hemisphere's shortest day. (In most years, about a week later Drake performs again in Chicago with the DKV Trio.) About the winter event Drake has said,
Occasionally, including in 2020, the Hamid Drake & Michael Zerang Duo have also performed a summer solstice concert in Chicago. The duo has released two albums – ''Ask the Sun'' (1996) and ''For Ed Blackwell'' (2015, recorded in 1995).

Partial discography

As leader/coleader

* '' Emancipation Proclamation: A Real Statement of Freedom'' (Okka Disk, 1999, 000 with Joe McPhee
* '' The All-Star Game'' (Eremite, 2000, 003 with Marshall Allen, Kidd Jordan, William Parker, and Alan Silva
* ''Reggaeology'' (RogueArt, 2010)
* ''Blissful'' (RogueArt, 2008)
* ''Bindu'' (RogueArt, 2005)
* ''Hu: Vibrational Universal Mother'' ( Soul Jazz)
* '' Live at Okuden'' ( ESP-Disk, 2016)
* ''Some Good News'' (Otoroku, 2021)
;with DKV Trio
* See also: Ken Vandermark discography#DKV Trio

;with Indigo Trio
* ''The Ethiopian Princess Meets the Tantric Priest'' (RogueArt, 2011)
* '' Anaya'' (RogueArt, 2009)
* ''Live in Montreal'' (Greenleaf, 2007)

;with Mandingo Griot Society
* ''Mandingo Griot Society''
* ''Mighty Rhythm''
* ''Watto Sitta''

;with Adam Rudolph
* ''Contemplations''
* ''12 Arrows''
* ''Dream Garden''

;with Pharoah Sanders and Adam Rudolph
* '' Spirits'' (Meta, 2000)

;with Spaceways Inc.
*See also: Ken Vandermark discography#with Spaceways Inc.

;Various duos
* Drake/Stewart – ''Timelines''
* Drake/Mateen – '' Brothers Together''
* Drake/McPhee – ''Emancipation Proclamation''
* Drake/Tsahar – ''Live at Glenn Miller Café''
* Drake/Tsahar – ''Soul Bodies vol. 1''
* Drake/Zerang – ''Ask the Sun'' (1996, Okka Disk/Pink Palace)
* Drake/Zerang – ''For Ed Blackwell'', recorded 1995 (2015, Pink Palace)

As sideman

With Fred Anderson
* ''Another Place'' ( Moers Music, Moers, 1978)
* '' Dark Day'' (Message, 1979); reissue as ''Dark Day + Live in Verona'' ( Atavastic, 2001)
* '' The Missing Link'' ( Nessa, 1979, issued 1984)
* '' The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1'' (Atavistic, 1980, issued 2000)
* '' Destiny'' (Okka Disk, 1995)
* '' Birdhouse'' (Okka Disk, 1996)
* '' Live at the Velvet Lounge'' (Okka Disk, 1999)
* '' 2 Days in April'' ( Eremite, 2000)
* '' Fred Anderson Quartet Volume Two'' (Asian Improv, 2000)
* '' On the Run, Live at the Velvet Lounge'' ( Delmark, 2001)
* '' Back Together Again'' ( Thrill Jockey, 2004)
* '' Blue Winter'' (Eremite, 2005)
* '' Timeless, Live at the Velvet Lounge'' (Delmark, 2006)
* '' From the River to the Ocean'' (Thrill Jockey, 2007)

;with Irene Schweizer and Fred Anderson
* '' Willisau & Taktlos'' (Intakt, 2007)

;with Malachi Thompson
*'' Freebop Now!'' (Delmark, 1998)

;with Scott Fields
* '' Five Frozen Eggs'' (Music and Arts/Clean Feed, 1997/2011)
* ''Dénouement'' (Geode/Clean Feed, 1999/2011)

;with William Parker
* '' Painter's Spring'' ( Thirsty Ear, 2000)
* '' Piercing the Veil'' ( AUM Fidelity, 2001) – reissued in 2007 as ''Piercing the Veil + First Communion''
* ''O'Neal's Porch'' (AUM Fidelity, 2000)
* '' Eloping with the Sun'' (Riti, 2001) – with Joe Morris and William Danced
* ''Raining on the Moon'' (Thirsty Ear, 2002)
* '' Scrapbook'' (Thirsty Ear, 2003)
* ''Sound Unity'' (AUM Fidelity, 2005)
* ''Summer Snow'' (AUM Fidelity, 2005 007
* '' Corn Meal Dance'' (AUM Fidelity, 2007)
* ''Alphaville Suite'' (RogueArt, 2007)
* ''I Plan to Stay a Believer'' (AUM Fidelity, 2010)
* '' Double Sunrise Over Neptune'' (AUM Fidelity, 2007)
* '' Petit Oiseau'' (AUM Fidelity, 2007)
* ''Essence of Ellington'' (Centering, 2012)
* '' Wood Flute Songs'' (AUM Fidelity, 2013)
* ''Organic Grooves'' arker/Drake– Black Cherry
* ''Palm of Soul'' – Jordan/Parker/Drake
* ''The Last Dances'' – Drake/Gahnold/Parker

;with Roy Campbell
* '' Ethnic Stew and Brew''

;with Herbie Hancock
* '' Sound-System''
* '' Jazz Africa''

;with David Murray
* ''Gwotet''
* ''Live in Berlin''
* '' Waltz Again''

;with Rob Brown
* '' The Big Picture'' (Marge, 2004)

;with Albert Beger and William Parker
* ''Evolving Silence Vol. 1'' (Earsay's Jazz, 2005)
* ''Evolving Silence Vol. 2'' (Earsay's Jazz, 2006)

;with Chicago Trio
* '' Velvet Songs'' (RogueArt, 2011)

;with Peter Brotzmann
* ''Brötzmann/Drake – The Dried Rat–Dog''
* ''Brötzmann/Drake – Brötzmann/Drake''
* ''Brötzmann/Kessler/Drake – Live at the Empty Bottle''
* ''Brötzmann/Mahmoud Gania/Drake – The Wels Concert''
* ''Brötzmann/Moukhtar Gania/Drake – The Catch of a Ghost''
* ''Brötzmann/Kondo/Parker/Drake – Die Like a Dog: Fragments of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler''
* ''Brötzmann/Parker/Drake – Never Too Late But Always Too Early''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Broken English''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Octet/Tentet – The Chicago Octet/Tentet''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Images''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Short Visit to Nowhere''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Signs''
* ''Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Stone/Water''
* ''Brötzmann/Die Like a Dog – Aoyama Crows''
* ''Brötzmann/Die Like a Dog – Close Up''
* ''Brötzmann/Die Like a Dog – From Valley to Valley''
* ''Brötzmann/Die Like a Dog – Little Birds Have Fast Hearts No. 1''
* ''Brötzmann/Die Like a Dog – Little Birds Have Fast Hearts No. 2''
* ''Parker/Brötzmann – The Bishop's Move''
* ''Drake/Brötzmann/Hopkins – The Atlanta Concert''

;with Marilyn Crispell and Peter Brötzmann
* '' Hyperion'' (Music & Arts, 1995)

;with Steve Swell
* '' Swimming in a Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow'' (RogueArt, 2007)

;with IsWhat?!
* ''You Figure It Out'' (Hyena, 2004)
* ''The Life We Chose'' (Hyena, 2006)

;with Painkiller
* " 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12" (2003)

;with Beans
* ''Only'' (with William Parker) (2006)

;with Yakuza
* ''Transmutations'' (Prosthetic, (2007)

;with Joshua Abrams
* ''Magnetoception'' (Eremite Records MTE-63/64, (2015)

;with Mako Sica
* ''Ronda'' (Feeding Tube co-released with Astral Spirits/Instant Classic, (2018)
* ''Balancing Tear'' (Feeding Tube co-released with Astral Spirits, 2020)
* ''Ourania'' featuring Tatsu Aoki & Thymme Jones (Feeding Tube/Instant Classic, 2021)

;with Chico Freeman / George Freeman
* ''All in the Family'' (Southport, (2015)

;with Pharoah Sanders
* '' Message from Home'' (Verve, 1996)

;with David S. Ware
* '' Live in the World'' (Thirsty Ear, 2005)

References

External links

Complete discography



Hamid Drake at RogueArt jazz label



Hamid Drake at Allmusic.com

Hamid Drake/Iswhat?! video interview at Allaboutjazz

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Hamid
Avant-garde jazz musicians
American jazz drummers
American percussionists
American reggae musicians
Musicians from Chicago
1955 births
Living people
20th-century American drummers
American male drummers
Jazz musicians from Illinois
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Painkiller (band) members
ESP-Disk artists
AUM Fidelity artists
RogueArt artists
FMR Records artists
Okka Disk artists