Zakiya Hooker is a literal heir to one of the most uniquely American musical traditions – the blues – and to one of its most distinctive and acclaimed innovators, her father John Lee Hooker. Given the reverence that his name commands, Zakiya could likely have made a career out of nostalgia, doing her best impression of the haunting, minimalist blues boogie that was his signature sound. Instead, she pays tribute to his name as she establishes her own, going outside and beyond that style and genre and finding her voice as a writer, singer, and performer in the larger legacy of American music.

Zakiya Hooker was born and raised in Detroit. She left a horrible relationship in the Motor City fleeing to California to be near her father. A struggling, single mother of 3 sons, she found work outside music (two years with the Oakland, California Police Department, five years with Kaiser and then 28 years with the Superior Court of California), and it served her well.

Zakiya was born into the blues, and with it all the fruits that it has borne. “It was quite a load to carry,” she says laughingly about being the daughter of a blues titan. Now her influences are vast, encompassing not only blues but soul, R&B, Gospel, country, jazz and early rock n roll. Even though she’s been a performer for most of her life, Zakiya now takes on the challenges of songwriter as well, succeeding in grand style with her brand new album, Legacy.

“Let me tell you about my first guitar,” Zakiya begins our conversation. “We got our first little place in California, me and my three boys. My dad had traveled to Spain, and whenever he went on a trip he would always bring something back, ever since we were little and living in Detroit. This time he brought me a guitar. It was an Alvarez. A beautiful Spanish guitar. I had no idea what to do with it. My oldest son, who is now 52 was about 10 years old at the time. I carried it with me wherever I went. As a matter of fact, that guitar is always up in my bedroom. I never take it out anymore.”

Why is it important to learn this backstory? Because Zakiya learned to play that guitar, and has used it not just as an instrument to play music, but as an instrument to create her own music. That’s important to her because she wanted to write music the way she felt it and heard it.

Hooker is married to Ollan Christopher BKA Chris James, veteran R&B singer/songwriter and member of the The Natural Four in the 1970s. She credits him with helping her find her own musical voice. “He helped me through coaching, the gathering of musicians, and all that stuff. He’s got all this experience because he was with Curtis Mayfield for seven years. We started doing music but at first it was rather strained. I would do the songs but someone else was putting the music together for me. So about four years ago I decided I was going to learn to play guitar.

“I don’t have to be a virtuoso. My dad had set me down and showed me a few things, but I could never duplicate what he did. I mean, he was just one of a kind, the way he played. Anyway, I got me some DVDs and a book and I finally got comfortable enough with the chords that I could do the songs.

“I’d write the songs and play them back, and can I tell you they would sound horrible to me. I do it better now. I started writing my little songs. There’s nothing like teamwork. Ollan would come in, and he plays bass also so he would help me put the songs together. They all used to tease me saying I had my father’s rhythm, and if you know anything about my father you know he would play what was in his head and you had to follow him.”

Zakiya’s practice at guitar help develop her songwriting skills, and all 10 tracks on the Legacy album were written by her with the musical arrangements done by Christopher and co-producer Anthony Cook, who also provided bass and guitar on the album respectively. 

Legacy was recorded at John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom Studio in Douglasville, Georgia, and is released on their family label, Boogie With The Hook Records. Since each song has a different feel, a small army of musicians were brought in to create the sound. Guitarists included Greg Crockett, Federico Bozas, Alvon Johnson, and Bobby Young. Other artists include Abiya Fubara (bass); Tovia Bradley, Eric Johnson, Kevin Williams, Marlon Green, and Emroh Kotan (drums); Walter Runge, Tyrone Johnson, and Fabricio Laborde (keyboards) and Nate Ginsberg on organ.

See what’s coming and join the party at Marin Jazz!