HAMID DRAKE
Birth: 08/03/55 Monroe, Louisiana
Studied with: Harry Hawthorn (trap set), Raman Papaiah, Ustad Kedar
Khan, Ranchod Das Pandya (tablas), Howie Levy (congas), Hamza El Din
(frame drums)
Hamid Drake's longest musical association is with Fred Anderson, with whom he
has worked from 1974 to the present day. Through Anderson, he met and
played with George Lewis and Douglas Ewart (late '70s). Another longtime
association has been with Adam Rudolph, a percussionist whom Drake cites
as one of his major influences along with Eddie Blackwell. Rudolph and
Drake have worked together as a duo and in larger group contexts since
1976. Hamid also worked extensively with Don Cherry from 1978 until his
passing in 1995. Since 1977 Drake has been a member of the Mandingo
Griot Society. His more recent group contributions have been made with:
Peter Brotzmann in a quartet with William Parker and Toshiro Kondo as
well as a trio with Caspar Brotzmann, Pierre Dorge with the New Jungle
Orchestra and small group projects; a percussion duo with Michael
Zerang; and the Drake/ Kessler/Vandermark Trio which formed at the
recording session for the CD Standards. Also significant to Drake's
career is his involvement with Reggae music. This began in the '70s with
Michael Rose, The l-Tals, Sister Carol, The Heptones, and Africassa
which later became the group Kwame and Wan Africa. He is currently
working with Dave Anderson and the l-Lites. Hamid cites his sources of
inspiration as Peter Brotzmann, Don Cherry, his parents Henry and Amelia
Drake, Islamic Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism.
More info about HAMID DRAKE
link to Michael Zerang's website