Throughout much of her professional life, jazz composer, lyricist, and vocalist Lauren Hooker devoted considerable effort to instructing aspiring artists in the intricacies of jazz vocal technique and compositional methods, mirroring the path of numerous peers in the field. Her eagerly anticipated debut recording, Right Where I Belong, finally appeared in 2007, featuring accompaniment from seasoned players including bassist Rufus Reid, pianist Allen Farnham, and drummer Tim Horner. The album blends her own compositions with classic standards and settings of her lyrics to melodies by Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Fats Waller, and Mal Waldron.
Hooker entered the jazz community of New York City and northern New Jersey during the early 1980s, following her graduation from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a music education degree. She pursued further studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick under pianist Kenny Barron and received training in jazz vocals from Sheila Jordan at the Manhattan School of Music.
Beginning piano studies at age four, Hooker drew motivation from her father, Louis Hooker, who worked as a conductor, jazz educator, and performer while also instructing at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Their home basement frequently hosted rehearsals and jam sessions, during one of which she encountered pianist Bill Evans at The Village Vanguard. As noted in the biography for Right Where I Belong, she remarked that due to her father's prominent role in jazz education and conducting, "I was not only encouraged, but expected to be a musician, and a well-rounded one at that; one who could compose, play, sing, arrange and educate."
Over time, Hooker has collaborated in performances and recordings with numerous jazz figures such as Dena DeRose, Bob DeVos, Vic Juris, Rufus Reid, Steve Nelson, Bobby Watson, and Reggie Workman, artists commonly active in Manhattan and northern New Jersey venues.
Across three decades, she has appeared at prominent jazz spots throughout Manhattan and northern New Jersey, in addition to the International Women in Jazz Festival held at St. Peter's Church in New York City. In 1997, her multimedia production Jazz Expressions, which integrates original compositions, dance, poetry, and photography, debuted at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck, NJ, alongside bassist Calvin Hill and pianist Tomoko Ohno.
