William Hooker
"Aria"
Available
through
iTunes
Spotify
Release date: 2017
AKA - The Italian Project
Featuring:
Dave Soldier, On Davis, Mark Hennen, Richard Keene, Welf Dorr, Louie
Belogenis
Tracks:
1 Impro I
2 Selfcommunion
3 Clown
4 Fuliculi Fulicula
5 Impro II
6 Santa Lucia
7 Epilogue
8 Impro III
9 Clown [Alternate]
"ARIA is an effort to interpret Italian melodies through the lense of
improvisation with my instrument (drums) and New York improvisers.
I listened to the pieces and delved into them. I believe this is a
significant addition to my musical journey. I hope you will listen
and enjoy this work." William Hooker
Stereogum:
Drummer William Hooker is a human avalanche of a player who’s been
around since the New York loft jazz scene of the early 1970s, and
who’s collaborated with figures from across the musical spectrum.
David S. Ware and David Murray were guests on his early albums, and in
the 1990s he recorded and performed (separately) with Thurston Moore
and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. His latest album is an ambitious
project that features Welf Dorr, Richard Keene, and Louie Belogenis on
reeds, Mark Hennen on piano, On Davis on guitar, and David Soldier (of
the Soldier String Quartet) on violin and guitar. The music combines
segments of wild, theatrical improvisation with compositions that draw
upon Italian folk music (Hooker’s wife is Italian) but take it into
unexpected and wholly new realms. In addition to drumming, Hooker
declaims poetry. This isn’t jazz, exactly; it’s an entirely unique
blend of art song, modern composition, and improvised awesomeness.