Ability to play, ability to hang. And maybe no (or minimal) bullshit in either.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rudolph
Rudolph grew up in the South Side of Chicago among jazz and blues musicians.[2] In 1988 he met jazz musician Yusef Lateef, and the two would go on to collaborate and perform together for the next 25 years.[3][4] In 1992 Rudolph helped found the band Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures, “a malleable group of improvisers“, as Jazz Times described it.[5] He has been the artistic director of and composer for Hu: Vibrational with Hamid Drake, Vashti International Percussion Ensemble and Go: Organic Orchestra. He has performed as half of the Wildflowers Duo with Butoh dance innovator Oguri.[6]
Rudolph has released several albums as leader and has also recorded with musicians Sam Rivers, Omar Sosa, Wadada Leo Smith, Pharoah Sanders, Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock, Foday Musa Suso, and Shadowfax.[7]
So it sounds basically like he paid attention to where he was and didn't try to explain it, just got in there and kept getting in.
From 1978, when Hamid was still Hank: