Omar Hakim
Omar Hakim | |
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Omar Hakim performing at Jazztage Görlitz 2012 | |
Background information | |
Born |
New York City, New York, U.S. | February 12, 1959
Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, pop, funk, rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, arranger, composer |
Instruments | Drums |
Years active | 1980–present |
Associated acts | Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stanley Clarke, Sting, Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kate Bush, Dire Straits, Journey, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Sinkane, John Scofield |
Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has worked with David Bowie, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Journey, Kate Bush, George Benson, Miles Davis, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.[1]
Early life
A graduate of the New York School of Music and Art, Omar Hakim began his career recording with various pop and soul groups. His father, Hasan Hakim, had played trombone for Duke Ellington and Count Basie and that influence helped to warm the younger Hakim's ear up for the part he would play in one of the most famous jazz fusion acts ever, Weather Report.
Career
Hakim credits jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri with giving him his first break in 1980; Hakim appeared in a video with Mainieri called The Jazz Life and began working with singer Carly Simon through Mainieri. Hakim first came to major attention as a member of Weather Report.
Hakim played drums on David Bowie's most commercially successful album, 1983's Let's Dance, as well as the follow-up, Tonight, in 1984. Bowie described Hakim as "a fascinating drummer, with impeccable timing" and "always fresh in his approach".[1] In the same year, Hakim did most of the drum work on the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms, when the previous drummer Terry Williams' performance was found unsuitable for the desired sound of the album after most of the songs had already been recorded. Hakim recorded all the drum tracks on the album in two days and then left. Williams was, however, brought back for the tour. Hakim was also part of the band for Sting's first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, appearing in the film Bring on the Night.
By this time, Hakim was teaching himself to program drum machines, which put him in even greater demand as a pop, rock, and R&B session musician, and landed him work with Madonna. Meanwhile, he continued his work as a jazz fusion drummer; just a partial list of his credits over the 1980s and '90s includes work with Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Roy Ayers, George Benson, Joe Sample, John Scofield, Lee Ritenour, Toninho Horta, and Najee. In December 1989, Hakim released his first solo album, Rhythm Deep, which occupied a middle ground between jazz, R&B, and pop, and gave him a chance to showcase his vocal abilities as well. The results earned Hakim a Grammy nomination in early 1990.
During the 1990s, Hakim continued to improve his skills in the realm of electronic percussion, keeping abreast of new technologies and thereby keeping his session career in good stead. He performed on albums by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Jewel, among other successful pop stars, and initially kept his jazz work going as well, though it had tapered off by the middle of the decade.
In 2000 Hakim released his second solo CD, The Groovesmith, which was produced, recorded and mixed in his personal recording studio "The OH-Zone". In 2010 Omar formed a band with wife Rachel Z called "The Trio of OZ" and they recorded and toured extensively internationally behind their highly successful eponymous release. In 2014, he released his third album, entitled We Are One with great critical reception. He is currently in the studio working on the second "The Trio of OZ" to be released in 2016 on his label OZmosis Media Group.
Hakim played drums for the Kate Bush 22-night residency called Before the Dawn in London from August 26 – October 1, 2014 at the Hammersmith Apollo.
On June 18, 2015 Journey announced that Hakim would replace longtime drummer Deen Castronovo on their North American tour after Castronovo was arrested for domestic violence in Salem, Oregon.[2]
Television
Between 1988 and 1989 Hakim appeared regularly as the house band drummer in The Sunday Night Band during the first half season of the acclaimed music performance program Sunday Night on NBC late-night television.[3] After being temporarily replaced by drummer J. T. Lewis for the remainder of that season, Hakim reappeared in the band for the second season in the fall of 1989, when the program returned under the new name Night Music.[4]
Discography
As leader
As sideman
With Victor Bailey
- 1989 Bottom's Up
- 1999 Low Blow
- 2001 That's Right
With David Bowie
- 1983 Let's Dance
- 1984 Tonight
- 1989 Blue Jean
- 1989 Sound + Vision
- 1990 Changesbowie
With Chic
- 1999 Live at the Budokan
- 2002 In Japan
- 2006 Night in Amsterdam
With Miles Davis
- 1986 Tutu
- 1987 Music from Siesta
- 1989 Amandla
With Najee
- 1986 Najee's Theme
- 1990 Tokyo Blue
- 1992 Just an Illusion
- 2000 Love Songs
- 2003 Embrace
With Lee Ritenour
- 1988 Festival
- 1995 Larry & Lee
- 2005 World of Brazil
With Special EFX
- 1988 Confidential
- 1988 Double Feature
- 1990 Just Like Magic
- 1991 Peace of the World
- 2013 Genesis
With Weather Report
- 1984 Domino Theory
- 1984 Sportin' Life
- 1985 This Is This!
- 2002 Live and Unreleased
- 2006 Forecast: Tomorrow
- 2011 Live in Cologne 1983[5]
With others
- 1979 Love Approach, Tom Browne
- 1981 As We Speak, David Sanborn
- 1981 Africa Center of the World, Roy Ayers
- 1981 Clean Sweep, Bobby Broom
- 1983 Mobo Vol. 1, Kazumi Watanabe
- 1983 Mobo Vol. 2, Kazumi Watanabe
- 1983 Sorrow Is Not Forever...But Love Is, Urszula Dudziak
- 1983 In Your Eyes, George Benson
- 1985 Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
- 1985 Magic Touch, Stanley Jordan
- 1985 The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting
- 1986 Bring on the Night, Sting
- 1986 Deep in the Heart of Nowhere, Bob Geldof
- 1986 Inside Out, Philip Bailey
- 1986 Premonition, Peter Frampton
- 1986 Heartbeat, Don Johnson
- 1986 Still Warm, John Scofield
- 1987 Hai Hai, Roger Hodgson
- 1987 I Never Said Goodbye, Sammy Hagar
- 1987 Primitive Cool, Mick Jagger
- 1988 C.K., Chaka Khan
- 1988 Giving You the Best That I Got, Anita Baker
- 1988 Ivory Coast, Bob James
- 1988 Julia Fordham, Julia Fordham
- 1998 Foolish Games, Jewel
- 1999 Down So Long, Jewel
- 1989 City Streets, Carole King
- 1989 Late Nite, Neal Schon
- 1989 Migration, Dave Grusin
- 1989 Spellbound, Joe Sample
- 1990 Ashes to Ashes, Joe Sample
- 1990 Deliverance, Jonathan Butler
- 1990 Heal Our Land, Jonathan Butler
- 1990 Mariah Carey, Mariah Carey
- 1990 Fires of Eden, Judy Collins
- 1990 Now You See It...Now You Don't, Michael Brecker
- 1990 Paint Another Picture, Darlene Love
- 1991 Curves Ahead, The Rippingtons
- 1991 Playground, Michel Petrucciani
- 1991 In My Wildest Dreams, Tom Grant
- 1992 Kiss My Axe, Al Di Meola
- 1992 Matters of the Heart, Tracy Chapman
- 1992 Tongues and Tails, Sophie B. Hawkins
- 1993 Harbor Lights, Bruce Hornsby
- 1993 Truest Heart, Nelson Rangell
- 1993 The Sun Don't Lie, Marcus Miller
- 1995 Relish, Joan Osborne
- 1996 Live at Seventh Avenue South, Mike Mainieri
- 1996 Louder Than Words, Lionel Richie
- 1996 Soulful Strut, Grover Washington Jr.
- 1997 ''Let's Talk About Love, Céline Dion
- 1997 Old Devil Moon, Carmen Lundy
- 1999 Scenes from My Life, Richard Bona
- 2000 Celebrating the Music of Weather Report, Jason Miles
- 2000 Eye Contact, Jay Beckenstein
- 2000 Lunar Eclypse, Gil Evans
- 2001 Dellali, Cheb Mami
- 2002 Beyond Words, Bobby McFerrin
- 2003 Diamond Dave, David Lee Roth
- 2003 The Reel Me, Jennifer Lopez
- 2005 I on U, Neal Schon
- 2005 Something to Be, Rob Thomas
- 2010 Hello Tomorrow, Dave Koz
- 2010 Homeland, Laurie Anderson
- 2012 Traveler, Jerry Douglas
- 2013 Fire Within, Birdy
- 2013 Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
- 2016 Before the Dawn, Kate Bush[5]
References
- 1 2 "David Bowie: A Different View". Modern Drummer. January 11, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Journey Drummer Booted From Tour". inquisitr.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ↑ Sunday Night closing credits, episodes #104 (1988), #113 (1989)
- ↑ Night Music closing credits, episodes #201 (1988), #205 (1989).
- 1 2 3 "Omar Hakim | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
External links
Multimedia