William Hooker – EVIDENCE: The Baldwin Suite

About

Roulette is pleased to host EVIDENCE: The Baldwin Suite, a stirring multimedia tribute to the ferociously daring novelist and social critic James Baldwin. Conceived by drummer William Hooker and featuring the talents of his quintet (Tor Snyder, Jesse Henry, Matt Lavelle), rapper AKU STYX, and dancer-choreographer Jinah Parker, this hour-long concert celebrates “The Year of Baldwin” through references to Baldwin’s works and adherence to his number one conviction: speaking truth to power, regardless of how painful. EVIDENCE: The Baldwin Suite serves not only as a reminder of what Baldwin knew to be true but what he saw as the path to transcendence: self acceptance. An informal discussion and reception will follow the performance.

Musician, composer, and poet William Hooker creates works that span jazz and new music to experimental genres. With over 70 CDs to his name, Hooker has performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Atrium at Lincoln Center, Walker Art Center, The Kitchen, and more. As a collaborator, Hooker has performed with David Ware, William Parker, Thurston Moore, Zeena Parkins, Lee Ranaldo, and Elliot Sharpe. Hooker’s work is frequently grounded in a narrative context, bringing tension and warmth to avant-garde jazz.

Harlem native James Baldwin (1924-1987) was an African American poet, novelist, playwright, and social activist known for his explorations of racial, social, and class distinctions in American society.