Sealed LP: William Hooker: Is Eternal Life

$

85

William Hooker: Reality Unit Concepts ... Is Eternal Life

FACTORY SEALED LP

• Drum Form (Wings (Traditional)/Prophet of Dogon/Still Water/Desert Plant/Tune)
• Soy: Material / Seven
• Passages (Anthill)
• Pieces I & II
• Above And Beyond

• Drums, Percussion, Vocals - William Hooker
• Bass - Mark Miller
• Saxohpone [Tenor] - David Murray
• Saxophone [Alto], Flute, Percussion - Hasaan Dawkins
• Saxophone [Tenor], Flute, Percussion - Les Goodson

• Working on the periphery of the jazz world since he moved to New York in 1974, 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, William Hooker initially approached the drum kit with reluctance. Hesitancy was soon replaced by commitment, however, and at age 12, he was getting his first taste of performing, supporting the Isley Brothers, Dionne Warwick, and Gary "U.S." Bonds as a member of the Flames. In college, he enrolled in a course on 20th Century Composers, writing a paper on the atonal music of Alban Berg. Combined with an independent study of the jazz albums on Blue Note Records, the drummer was ensured a unique music education. Local musicians like the tenor saxophonist Al Pitts and bassist Bob Snell provided more practical tutelage. Hooker eventually made a trek out to the West Coast with his good friend Tyrone Lampkin (future drummer for Parliament/Funkadelic), an eye-opening experience for the young musician. While he was disappointed by the lack of ability on the jazz scene as a whole, the radical consciousness of the period led to his initial attempts at "free" playing. Hooker moved back to Hartford, CT, where he lived briefly before heading to New York in 1974.
• In his new home, the drummer quickly established himself amongst the city's jazz, loft scene. 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. The drummer began receiving increasing attention from the underground rock sector. Fans and artists of post-punk and indie rock were turning their ear toward experimental and improvised music, including the sort of free jazz Hooker performed. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, a longtime admirer of the genre, released the drummer's Subconscious album (1994) on his Ecstatic Peace label. Hooker soon began performing with younger musicians beyond the immediate scope of jazz (oftentimes at Knitting Factory jams). Shamballa (1993) pits Hooker's fiery drumming against the unkempt feedback bursts of Moore and the calculated guitar electronics of Elliot Sharp. Envisioning (1994) captures an improv date with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo that includes spoken word segments. The duo was joined by the ecstatic electric harp work of Zeena Parkins for the date that produced 1995's the Gift of Tongues. Hooker also brought electronics into his music, collaborating with Brian Doherty, Doug Walker, and Gert-Jan Prins, and turntablists DJ Olive (on 1995's Armageddon and 1997's Mindfulness) and Christian Marclay (2000's Bouquet).

FINE PRINT

• All pictures are of the exact item being sold.
• This record came from a record store called "Phantasmagoria" which was located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Phantasmagoria went out of business in 1978. I purchased most of their leftover inventory some years later when I owned a new & used record store in Catasauqua called "Music Madness". Music Madness is still listed in the phone book if you want to try to contact me.
• Phantasmagoria used round colored stickers to indicate the price of the albums. They had a sign on the wall with the color sticker combinations for the customers to use so they knew the price of the albums. Most of the albums still have these stickers on them, and in some rare cases, the stickers are written on.
• Your item(s) will be shipped within two business days after I receive your payment.
• I always leave feedback before your item ships. Please consider leaving feedback for me after you have had a chance to inspect and enjoy this record.
• Please avoid questions on the last day of the auction. I might not have enough time to give you an answer before the auction ends.
• Payment by PayPal only (except for items when local pick-up has been arranged).
• Almost all album reviews, credits and artist biographies are from All Music Guide. If you haven't been to their web site, you should check it out. It's one of the most comprehensive music references on the internet. In some cases, the above credits may include reissue (CD) information. Obviously any credits referenced to CDs do not apply to these album releases.
• All sealed albums are being sold as collector's items and cannot be returned due to manufacturer's defects. It may be almost impossible to replace many of the sealed albums that I am selling.
• IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO MAKE A PROFIT ON THE POSTAGE. ANY ACCIDENTAL OVERCHARGE GREATER THAN $1 WILL BE REFUNDED TO YOU. (I've been know to refund less than $1 overcharges too.)

Shipping

• Pick-up is fine with me. Just be prepared to pay by cash. No shipping fees apply. E-mail me to setup a time that is convenient for the both of us.
• All uninsured and underinsured shipments are the responsibility of the buyer.
• I have started to add a $1.00 "handling fee" which is to help defray the cost of a new mailing box. This is approximately what I pay for them from BagsUnlimited. If you opt to have your record(s) shipped by Priority Mail, I will refund the dollar since the box from the Post Office is free. If you don't chose Priority Mail and you feel that the dollar is unfair, let me know so I can refund it. Upon refunding your dollar, I will package your album(s) in an "almost new" mailer which was used to send a record to me (yes, I'm a collector too).

• Foreign buyers must pay with US dollars through PayPal only. Please do not send cash - it's too risky.
• SHIPPING: I will send an invoice with options for the cost of shipping after the auction ends. You will have the choice of the following two options:
• USPS First Class International: Estimated delivery time to most countries is about 10-30 days. (Customs may delay delivery)
• USPS Priority Mail International: Estimated delivery time to most countries is about 6-10 days. (Customs may delay delivery)
• All uninsured and underinsured shipments are the responsibility of the buyer.
• I have started to add a $1.00 "handling fee" which is to help defray the cost of a new mailing box. This is approximately what I pay for them from BagsUnlimited. If you opt to have your record(s) shipped by Priority Mail, I will refund the dollar since the box from the Post Office is free. If you don't chose Priority Mail and you feel that the dollar is unfair, let me know so I can refund it. Upon refunding your dollar, I will package your album(s) in an "almost new" mailer which was used to send a record to me (yes, I'm a collector too).
• The buyer is responsible for all customs regulations and fees in their own country. Unless you ask me to ask me to value your items at less than the winning bid, I will put the winning bid price on the customs form. If you request lower values on the customs forms, any associated risks are yours.
• You can go to the USPS International Postage Calculator to approximate the cost of your postage. The shipping weight for this record is listed near the beginning of this listing. If you are purchasing multiple records and need to manually calculate the postage, subtract 8 ounces (the weight of the box) from the shipping weight as shown above for each additional record.

Counter by AuctionTamer