Nate Wooley

Nate Wooley, born in 1974 in Clatskanie, Oregon, took up the trumpet early and was already performing professionally with his saxophonist father during his teenage years. After high school he attended the University of Oregon and the University of Denver. He settled in New York in 2001 and quickly became part of Brooklyn’s improvisational community, working alongside John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Ken Vandermark, Fred Frith, Evan Parker, and many others. His first solo recording, Wrong Shape to Be a Storyteller, appeared in 2005, followed by projects with Tim Barnes, Paul Lytton, and David Grubbs.

Drawing on the innovations of Bill Dixon, Wadada Leo Smith, and Lester Bowie, Wooley forged a personal language for the instrument that incorporates microtones, drones, vocalizations, and further extended techniques. Critical attention has centered on both his solo explorations and his work in duos, trios, and small ensembles, documented on releases such as 2009’s Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing, 2011’s The Almond, and 2019’s Columbia Icefield. Additional partnerships have involved Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson, Matthew Shipp, and Peter Evans.

In 2009 he formed a trio with guitarist Mary Halvorson and bassist Reuben Radding that issued Crackleknob on Hatology; the same year saw Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing, recorded with cellist and electronics performer Fred Lonberg-Holm and bassist Jason Roebke. A 2011 duo album paired him with trumpeter Peter Evans, and between 2014 and 2015 he appeared on several recordings by Belgian drummer Teun Verbruggen’s Bureau of Atomic Tourism. Ninth Square, a 2015 session, united him with guitarist Joe Morris and saxophonist Evan Parker.

Outside of performing, Wooley founded the For/With Festival, edits the online journal Sound American, and curates the Database of Recorded American Music (DRAM). He also teaches at The New School for Social Research. Philosopher’s Stone, released in 2017, featured saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp. Columbia Icefield followed in 2019 with guitarist Halvorson, pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, and drummer Ryan Sawyer. Further collaborations with Shipp, Perelman, and Mat Maneri yielded Strings 3 and Strings 4 in 2019, while Whit Dickey’s Morph included Wooley’s contributions in 2020. Mutual Aid, containing eight ensemble concertos and featuring saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, vibraphonist Matt Moran, and additional musicians, arrived in 2021.