William Hooker, shown in a separate show, sent a wave of encompassing energy through the Cherch. Courtesy allaboutjazz.com

by Luke Stewart

William Hooker
The Cherch
Sat., Feb. 19, 2011

There’s nothing like a barrage of furious drums to get out some negative energy. And William Hooker‘s solo performance at the Cherch on Saturday was nothing less than refreshing.

I must admit, I was not prepared for what William Hooker was to perform. A longtime veteran in the avant-jazz scene in New York City, Hooker has also collaborated with many forward-thinking artists across genres, including Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and godfather of turntablism Christian Marclay.

On Saturday evening, Hooker sat down behind someone else’s drum kit, changed the snare and immediately began his piece. People in the audience were still conversing, not fully aware of what was taking place. I was lucky to be right in front, so I knew he had started, even though I’d been expecting him to be collaborating with another musician. Instead, Hooker went directly into an African drum pattern à la Max Roach, extrapolating on the rhythm, then moving seamlessly amongst a handful of different drum patterns. Each one was part of the entire performance’s story. His playing was complete with interludes of rhythmic ferocity and some well-placed grunts and shouts, but Hooker always brought the madness back to the beginning, as if completing a great cycle. 

Toward the end of the set, he paused for a short spoken-word piece, accompanied by a bass drum (his own). The ensuing applause even became part of the performance. Hooker concluded the poem with, “I only say that to say this;” then he unleashed a flurry of drum hits imitating the sound of his fans’ applause and gave his own version of an audience’s hoots and hollers.

The show opened, it bears noting, with a killer set from D.C. avant rockers Matta Gawa, who leave today for a short tour. This was one of their best performances I’ve seen. Guitarist and loop artist Ed Ricart’s musical ideas flowed gracefully into one another, building distorted tension then releasing at just the right moment. Drummer Sam Lohman was in rare form, setting a mood that was simultaneously intense and tasteful. Their improvisations invoked suspenseful energies and, in the end, they simply became great compositions.

But it was Hooker who left the most indelible impression. This performance made me a true believer of solo drums. With his virtuosity, Hooker was able to remain captivating, taking the audience on a musical journey and even including them in the act of performance. In the end, I – and the rest of the audience – was left in awe of the man. It seemed he had truly converted everyone.

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