Composer, writer, percussionist, singer and coordinator Doug Hammond began his journey as a musician. Before his high school graduation, he was playing blues music with Barney Lowis and B.B. King, who went onto get him his first gigs sitting in with Earl Hooker. Splitting his time between New York City and Detroit in the '60s and '70s, Hammond lent his percussive and vocal talents to Donald Byrd, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Sam Rivers, Etta James, Nina Simone, the Dorothy Ashby Trio among others. Over the years, his compositions have been performed by Charles Mingus, Steve Coleman, Dave Holland Quintet, Jazzanova, Carl Craig, George Crumb Trio, Family of Percussion, Archie Shepp, Walter Haas, Paul Epstein, Michael Riessler and many more.