William Hooker Continues Proving That the Fringe Is Still the Center | The Sharp Notes Interview

The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth

William Hooker has spent decades making music on his own terms—loud, unflinching, and fully independent. A drummer, composer, poet and more with over 70 recordings as a bandleader, Hooker is a fixture of New York’s experimental underground, shaped by the Loft Jazz scene of the 1970s and carried forward through venues like CBGB, the Knitting Factory, and Roulette. His latest record, Jubilation, recorded live at Roulette in Brooklyn, is another chapter in a career defined by pushing boundaries, building community, and resisting easy categorization.

The following conversation with William digs into both the record and the mindset behind it. Hooker speaks plainly about what it means to work outside the mainstream—how playing free jazz often means playing for people who don’t yet know how to hear it. He talks about rehearsal as a way to build trust between musicians, about improvisation as a response to the space you’re in, and about the value of taking creative risks without overthinking them.

Throughout our chat, Hooker is generous but direct. He knows what he’s doing and why. He’s not selling a product—he’s sharing a process. There’s no mythologizing here, just decades of work and clarity about what matters. Jubilation isn’t a throwback or a statement piece—it’s just where Hooker is right now, doing what he’s always done: leading from the drums, assembling the right players, and trusting the moment to shape the music. In a city that rarely makes room for artists to grow old and stay weird, Hooker is still here—evolving, documenting, and finding joy in the chaos.