Fred Hopkins gained his greatest recognition as bassist with
the co-op trio Air, but he played through the years with most of
the top avant-garde musicians and his abilities were well-known
to his fellow players. He recorded with Kalaparusha Maurice
McIntyre in 1970, worked with Henry Threadgill and Steve McCall
in the trio Reflection (1971-1972), freelanced in Chicago, moved
to New York in 1975, and reunited with Threadgill and McCall as
Air (1975 through the mid-'80s); after McCall's departure in
1982, the group (with Pheeroan AkLaff on drums) became known as
New Air. Hopkins also worked and recorded with Anthony Braxton,
Marion Brown, Oliver Lake, David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Craig
Harris, Don Pullen, and many others, but strangely enough, never
led a record session of his own. Due to health problems, Hopkins
stepped down as bassist in Ari Brown's trio in the late '90s
and, in January 1999, Fred Hopkins died in his hometown of
Chicago. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide