Hamid Drake

A prolific, widely traveled drummer and percussionist, Chicago's Hamid Drake is renowned for his work in jazz and improvised music. His expansive style incorporates Afro-Cuban, Indian, and African and South American percussion elements. Since emerging with saxophonist Fred Anderson's group in the 1970s, Drake has worked with hundreds of top improvisers including Peter Brötzmann and William Parker. His own albums, including 1995's Hyperion and 2000's Emancipation Proclamation: A Real Statement of Freedom, have won global critical notice. In the 2010s, Drake collaborated with the likes of Michael Zerang, pianist Matthew Shipp, saxophonist Mat Walerian, and the Chicago avant-rock trio Mako Sica. He joined pianist Irène Schweizer for 2021's Celebration. In 2023, he released Eternal River in duo with Ken Vandermark, followed by Formless with Mako Sica. In 2024, Drake took part in a trio session with Parker and pianist Cooper-Moore, Heart Trio.