Hook Me Up

The excitement of Hook Me Up comes from the musical melding of 4 of the Northwest's busiest "sidemen” in contemporary music. These four individuals have come together to bring you an energetic and entertaining sound in modern instrumental music. Let"s meet the members;

 

Tracey D. Hooker on trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals.  A 22 year veteran of the United States Navy Music Program, Tracey has traveled and performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe as a featured trumpet soloist. He was a clinician for the Oregon Coast Lab band, and most recently, for the Elma High School District in Washington State. Tracey also serves as an adjudicator for the Washington Music Educator Association. He is currently performing as lead trumpet player with the Olympia Jazz Senators, soloist for the Rich Wetzel Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra, a 1970s horn band (Peaceable Lane), “Hook Me Up.” Additionally, Mr. Hooker performs as sideman with many local groups as well as more notable groups, such as the O'Jays, Frankie Vallie, Soloman Burke, Tony Rivera, Bobby Shew, Mic Gilette, Stan Mark, San Diego Symphony and the Florida Symphony to name a few. Currently, he is under contract with the Harlequin Production Company performing in 26 shows for their summer series program. Despite his busy performance schedule, Tracey still makes time to teach privately from his home studio to19 students.

 

Osama Afifi on bass. Most people know Osama as a dedicated, hard working bassist whose love for music knows no bounds, whether he is performing straight-ahead jazz, fusion, rock, R&B, pop, or Latin. For several years he has been the bassist for the B Sharp Jazz Quartetbased in Los Angeles. He helped the quartet reach new heights with his innovative and compelling style. The B Sharp Quartet has been praised by numerous national and regional magazines and newspapers, for example as "one of the most distinctive group sounds in jazz today " (Jazziz). The Quartet toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Osama has also ventured into composition, co-writing a song entitled "Nami" that is featured on the group's CD "Searching for the One." The song was quoted as "a future Jazz standard" by Billboard Magazine. KLON, LA's premier jazz radio station, chose "Nami" to be on their latest compilation CD. Osama records and performs live with many other artists, including U.S. and Canadian tours with world renowned recording artist Yanni, a European and Canadian tour with the famous European artist Vanessa Paradis, and a TV show on VH1 called Storytellers with Rock and Roll legends The Doors. He has worked with Grammy nominated jazz vocalists Kurt Elling and Nnenna Freelon, the Fifth Dimension, rock pioneers The Cadillacs, jazz saxophonists Gary Herbig,Mindi Abair, Jeff Kashiwa, singer Debbie Boone, former Miles Davis keyboardist Kei Akagi, Winton Marsalis' pianist Eric Reed, Doors drummer John Densmore, Brazilian style guitar duo Hugo Jojo, and jazz trumpeter Tony Guerrero. He also records numerous jingles and TV shows, such as Wild Bill's Adventure, Battledome, the new Newlywed Game, and the Disney Show Lizzie MacGuire. His commercials include Denny's, Infiniti, Barbie,Hyundai andTropicana. Osama does his share in educating the next generation of musicians performing clinics and teaching privately. He also taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena, California

 

Aaron Hennings on drums. Aaron Hennings holds a Bachelor and Masters degree from Central Washington University in music and music education. He is a former member of the Air Force Jazz Band 1990-1993. Aaron has performed with many noted musicians, such as Doc Severenson, Pete Christlieb, Ernestine Anderson, Bill Watrous, John Clayton, Bud Shank, George Cables, Mel Lewis, Dick Oates, Phil Woods, and Woody Woodhouse. Aaron currently performs in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area with noted local acts such as Lance Buller and the Monarchs, Stephanie Porter, Swingin' Soire, The JimCo Trio, The Reino Moisio Jazz Orchestra, Groove Box, and Hook Me Up.

 

James C. Cochran on keyboards. Jim Cochran has been a part of the Northwest music scene since 1977 beginning his professional career in the funk band Readymade Family while still in high school. After additional training at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle Jim was invited to join an established “corporate casual” band by the name of OASIS. After spending more than a decade refining his performance skills at some of the Puget Sounds most elite parties Jim was next asked to put together the house band for Legends in Concert at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, Washington where he performed for the next 4 years. During that time Jim met Aaron Hennings while performing with the Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra (GHJO) as their principal pianist. Aaron and Jim went on to perform at many of the Northwests larger casinos with the Randy Linder Band. Jim later met Tracey Hooker in GHJO. Osama Afifi was referred by a mutual friend and the rest, as they say, is history.