Rhythmic Tales: William Hooker & On Ka’a Davis

Rhythmic Tales brings together William Hooker and On Ka’a Davis for an evening of exploratory music at Rhizome DC. Hooker performs on drums and spoken word, while Davis plays acoustic and electric guitars. Their work draws on jazz, experimental music, improvisation, classical traditions, and other genre-crossing approaches.

Hooker is known for an expansive, boundary-defying practice that has produced more than 80 albums as a leader. Davis, a longtime artist and activist on New York’s Lower East Side, works across guitar, electric violin, keyboards, vocals, composition, dance, and film, incorporating both classical and contemporary forms.

When: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Schedule: Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the music begins at 7:00 PM. The event is scheduled to run until 10:30 PM.

Tickets: $20–$30

Venue: Rhizome DC

Performers: William Hooker on drums and spoken word; On Ka’a Davis on acoustic and electric guitars

William Hooker: Hooker’s work spans jazz, new music, and experimental genres. He has released more than 80 CDs as a leader, including the album *Convergence: Live in China* with guitarist David King. His performance history includes the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center’s Atrium, the Wadsworth Atheneum, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Walker Art Center, MTV, The Kitchen, Roulette, and Real Art Ways. He has also appeared at festivals including the JVC Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, CMJ Music Festival, Vilnius Jazz Festival, Experimenta Argentina, and the Victoriaville Music Festival.

On Ka’a Davis: Davis is primarily a guitarist whose work explores classical guitar, creative improvisation, jazz, roots-based musical traditions, and fully composed 21st-century music. In addition to acoustic and electric guitar, Davis performs on electric violin and keyboards and sings. Davis has composed works for solo classical guitar and guitar with ensemble, as well as music for dance and film.