* En anglais uniquement
Working on the periphery of the jazz world, William Hooker's kinetically charged, free-time drumming style and spoken word poetry have been matched with some of the finest improvising talent across generations and stylistic boundaries. From solo explorations to collaborations with Billy Bang, Lee Ranaldo, and DJ Olive, Hooker's music has surfaced on a smattering of independently minded record labels aiming to document some of the most distinctive musicians working this indefinable terrain. Born in New Britain, CT, on June 18, 1946, Hooker quickly established himself amongst New York's loft scene after moving to the city in 1974. The new jazz of Delmark and Actuel BYG began replacing the Blue Note Records in his collection. Unable to find a label for himself, Hooker established the non-profit Reality Unit Concepts to fund his debut, 1978's Is Eternal Life, a collection of solo, duo, and trio performances with prominent tenor saxophonists David Murray and David S. Ware and altoist Jemeel Moondoc. Hooker spent much of the 1980s hard at work, performing with a number of his own ensembles. Rather than establishing a regular unit, the drummer drew from a community of musicians that included trumpeter Lewis Barnes, saxophonists Blaise Siwula and Charles Compo, pianist Mark Hennen, and guitarist Jesse Henry. Sadly, little of the music he made during the decade found its way onto records. It wasn't until the early '90s that more outlets became available. Hooker's work emerged on independent labels like Knitting Factory, Silkheart, and Homestead, and the drummer began receiving increasing attention from the underground rock sector. Hooker soon began performing with younger musicians beyond the immediate scope of jazz (oftentimes at Knitting Factory jams).