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Ulysses Owens, Jr.

Heralded as a “powerhouse of a showman” (Glide Magazine), a “legitimate jazz triple threat” (Critical Jazz) and a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one” (The New York Times), performer, producer and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. goes the limit in the jazz world and beyond.

One of the most sought-after drummers of his generation, Owens sets the mark. From GRAMMY award-winning performances with Christian McBride’s acclaimed Trio and Big Band to world tours with Kurt Elling and Joey Alexander, Owens’s artistic command of percussion has earned him positions in some of the most successful jazz ensembles of the 21st century. Owens’s reverence for tradition distinctly manifests in his straight-away playing style, but it is the versatility of his talent— his unique ability to manipulate texture and create penetrating musical shapes— that attracts the attention of jazz’s heavy hitters. His performance catalog includes collaborations with Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, Dianne Schurr, Renee Fleming and Mulgrew Miller, just to name a few.

A burgeoning force in the industry, Owens has been named a Rising Star by DownBeat’s Critics Poll for five years straight. He is a recipient of the 2013 ASCAP Plus Award, a Gold Medal winner of the 2014 Global Music Awards, a 2015 Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Awards Honoree, and 2019 “3rd Runner-Up,” in Classic Jazz Category in the Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll. Still, most notable of Owens’s accomplishments are his performances on the 2010 GRAMMY award-winning Kurt Elling live album, Dedicated to You, and the 2012 GRAMMY award-winning Christian McBride Big Band album, The Good Feeling. His work with Joey Alexander, the Christian McBride Trio, and Gregory Porter have also received recognition by the Recording Academy, garnering GRAMMY nominations for the albums; My Favorite Things, Countdown, Out Here , Live at the Village Vanguard, Nat King Cole and Me.

At the heart of Owens’s work is a passion for creation and the desire to reach new audiences. On and off stage, music emanates from every inch of his being, and no performance goes unmarked by Owens’s signature smile. Owens is a gifted bandleader, claiming five successful albums of his own (It’s Time for U, Unanimous, Onward and Upward, Falling Forward, Songs of Freedom.) and four self-produced albums with the New Century Jazz Quintet (Time is Now, In Case You Missed Us, Arise, and Soul Conversion), a skillful group he co-leads with pianist Takeshi Ohbayashi in Japan. Owens’s band-first philosophy ensures that all conversations with an audience remain fluid and focused, another stamp of his seasoned expertise and professional sophistication.

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17
Album Review

Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y: A New Beat

Read "A New Beat" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The rhythms presented on award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.'s latest album are not exactly A New Beat, as they have been heard in various configurations for at least eighty years or more, but they do provide a plausible indication of the path that Art Blakey's legendary Jazz Messengers would presumably have followed had Blakey lived into the twenty-first century. Owens, who teaches at the Juilliard School in New York City, has a knack for spotting and encouraging ...

13
Album Review

Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y: A New Beat

Read "A New Beat" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


A New Beat, crafted by the multi-Grammy award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and his Generation Y outfit, materializes as a vivid emblem of jazz's evolving dynamics. This album, an amalgamation of nine tracks, epitomizes the fusion of classic jazz standards with inventive perspectives. Among its highlights, “Bird Lives" notably shines for its technical brilliance and tribute to jazz icons, striking a harmonious balance between honoring the past and embracing the new. This track, alongside the production's repertoire, demonstrates the ensemble's ...

3
Radio & Podcasts

Jeremy Monteiro, Marshall Gilkes & Ulysses Owens Jr.

Read "Jeremy Monteiro, Marshall Gilkes & Ulysses Owens Jr." reviewed by Joe Dimino


From a jazz star in the modern world, we begin the 839th Episode of Neon Jazz with Ulysses Owens Jr. and music from his latest album A New Beat. From there, we get into a host of new cats putting out new music with the likes of Noah Becker, Kristen Edkins, Charles Chen and Myles Wright. We also get a good dose of new music from veterans like Dave Solazzo, Adam Birnbaum, Jeremy Monteiro and Andy Pratt. We bring the ...

Album Review

Steven Feifke: The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra

Read "The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Metti assieme un talentoso giovane orchestratore come Steven Feifke, un trombettista di prima grandezza come Bijon Watson e una big band con grandi nomi e prestigiosi ospiti e il risultato è scontato. Il debutto della Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra è stato propiziato dalla collaborazione col Jazz Education Network ed ha assunto le vesti di un album includendo in organico ospiti di rilievo come Kurt Elling, Sean Jones e Chad Lefkowitz Brown. Il principale riferimento è la tradizione ...

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Album Review

Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra: The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra

Read "The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, co-led by pianist/composer Steven Feifke and trumpeter par excellence Bijon Watson, is a seventeen-member ensemble comprising seasoned players paired with young lions who are poised to capture pride of place. Nowhere do the leaders say who is in which group, and it would be impolitic to name them here. Suffice to say that some of the names may be more familiar than others--as, for example, trombonist John Fedchock who cut his teeth with one of ...

13
Album Review

MONK'estra: MONK'estra Plays John Beasley

Read "MONK'estra Plays John Beasley" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The MONK'estra is actually a number of groups of various shapes and sizes, from duo to big band, assembled under the guiding hand of composer, arranger & pianist John Beasley to—wait for it!—"play John Beasley," an artist whose admiration for Thelonious Sphere Monk is clear throughout this buoyant and resourceful album, as it was on Volumes 1 and 2 of the series, in which the MONK'estra “played Monk." Beasley wrote eight of the album's fourteen genial numbers ...

2
Radio & Podcasts

Lee Morgan & Ulysses Owens Jr.

Read "Lee Morgan & Ulysses Owens Jr." reviewed by Joe Dimino


From one of the most powerful drummers in jazz today who is has released a big band album, we start the 717th Episode of Neon Jazz with Ulysses Owens, Jr. and a tune off his latest CD Soul Conversations. As is the case with all Neon Jazz shows, we trace the history of influences for each artist. For Ulysses, he was swayed heavily by Miles Davis and we hear the song “Limbo" from the trumpet master. We also hear from ...

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1

Book / Magazine

'The Musician's Career Guide: Turning Your Talent Into Sustained Success' By Ulysses Owens Jr on Skyhorse Publishing

'The Musician's Career Guide: Turning Your Talent Into Sustained Success' By Ulysses Owens Jr on Skyhorse Publishing

Source: All About Jazz

An Engaging and Accessible Guide to Achieving Sustained Access in the Music Industry As a musician, how can you blend art and survival and still keep loving the business? The Musician’s Career Guide, written from the perspective of someone who has engaged in the daily struggle that all artists encounter, provides clear strategic support and advice in a knowledgeable, reader-friendly voice. From preparing for an audition to business planning to protecting one’s mental and emotional well-being, The Musician’s Career Guide ...

1

Recording

Asian-American Pianist And Composer Mavis Pan To Release Sophomore Album Set For Love Featuring Producer/Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. And Lyricist/Co-writer David Keyes

Asian-American Pianist And Composer Mavis Pan To Release Sophomore Album Set For Love Featuring Producer/Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. And Lyricist/Co-writer David Keyes

Source: ARE GROUP

Accomplished Asian-American pianist and composer Mavis Pan is scheduled to release her third album Set For Love on May 12, 2019. Equally proficient in both jazz and classical music, Pan has performed her works in numerous esteemed music halls and venues across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. She has studied under renowned contemporary classical composers Tania Leon and Dalit Warsaw and has received numerous accolades including Brooklyn College Conservatory’s Morton Feldman and Miriam Gideon composer awards ...

1

Recording

Performance And Visual Artist Diane Hoffman To Release Third Album Do I Love You Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring A Dynamic Ensemble

Performance And Visual Artist Diane Hoffman To Release Third Album Do I Love You Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring A Dynamic Ensemble

Source: ARE Group

Vocalist and visual artist Diane Hoffman will release her third album entitled Do I Love You on October 9, 2018. On the recording, Hoffman once again chose to feature drummer/percussionist Ulysses Owens, Jr. with whom she previously worked and, who for this project, produced and assembled a formidable ensemble that includes Billy Test, piano; Jacob Kelberman, guitar; Yasushi Nakamura, bass; Yoshi Waki, bass; Daniel Dickinson, tenor saxophone; Vitaly Golavnev, trumpet; Eric Miller, trombone; and Joseph Doubleday, vibraphone. Hoffman, a formally ...

1

Recording

Vocalist Olivia Foschi To Release Sophomore Album Fleeting Windows Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring Acclaimed Producer/Accordionist Gil Goldstein And All Star Line-Up

Vocalist Olivia Foschi To Release Sophomore Album Fleeting Windows Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring Acclaimed Producer/Accordionist Gil Goldstein And All Star Line-Up

Source: ARE Group

Italian-American vocalist Olivia Foschi will release her sophomore album entitled Fleeting Windows on August 24, 2018; the official record release concert is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. that evening at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY. The record was produced by Ulysses Owens, Jr. who plays drums/percussion on all tracks and features Gil Goldstein, accordion/piano/Rhodes; Billy Test, piano/Rhodes; Alex Sipiagin, trumpet/flugelhorn; Daniel Dickinson, bass clarinet/flute/tenor sax/alto sax; Joseph Doubleday, vibraphone; Yotam Silberstein, guitar; and Marco Panascia, bass. Fleeting Windows was driven by ...

3

Event

Ulysses Owens Jr. To Host Upcoming Album Release Concert In Celebration Of His Latest Recording "Falling Forward"

Ulysses Owens Jr. To Host Upcoming Album Release Concert In Celebration Of His Latest Recording "Falling Forward"

Source: ARE Group

On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. will celebrate the release of his latest album, Falling Forward (Spice of Life Records), with a special performance showcasing his new ensemble at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City. Falling Forward is Owens’ fourth recording as a leader, and features the group THREE comprising vibraphonist Joel Ross and bassist Reuben Rogers, with special guests, vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and pianist Stephen Feifke. The band’s first album showcases ...

1

Recording

Recognized Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. To Release Upcoming Album "Falling Forward”

Recognized Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. To Release Upcoming Album "Falling Forward”

Source: ARE Group

Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. is releasing his latest album entitled Falling Forward (Spice of Life Records) on August 4, 2017 (the record release concert will be held on August 9, 2017 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola). The album marks his fourth project as a leader and features vibraphonist Joel Ross and bassist Reuben Rogers, with special guests, vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and pianist Stephen Feifke. Widely regarded as one of the top jazz drummers of his generation, Ulysses Owens, Jr. (Joey Alexander, ...

5

Event

Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. To Lead "All Sides Of Ella” with Friends At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola In New York City

Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. To Lead "All Sides Of Ella” with Friends At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola In New York City

Source: ARE GROUP

Grammy-Award winning drummer and musical director Ulysses Owens, Jr., will return to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola from April 28-30 to take part in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Ella Fitzgerald Festival. He will lead a notable ensemble consisting of pianist Allyn Johnson, trumpeter Alphonso Horne, and bassist Alex Claffy, with featured vocalists Brianna Thomas and Alyson Williams. Of his group's upcoming performance at the Ella Fitzgerald Festival, Owens states “I first fell in love with Ella's voice in my teens. Since then I ...

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Award / Grant

Grammy Win - Ulysses Owens Jr., Drummer on Kurt Elling's Dedicated to You!

Grammy Win - Ulysses Owens Jr., Drummer on Kurt Elling's Dedicated to You!

Source: Kari-On Productions

Ulysses Owens, Jr. Drummer on “Dedicated to You" Winner of The GRAMMY for Best Vocal Jazz Album Kurt Elling brings home his very first GRAMMY for the exquisitely beautiful, tasteful, and always swingin' Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman. This was Kurt Ellings's ninth nomination—each and every Elling album has been nominated. Laurence Hobgood was also nominated this year for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist for the title tune, “Dedicated to You," done ...

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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

A New Beat

Cellar Records
2024

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The Generation Gap...

Cellar Records
2022

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Kinetic

Outside in Music
2021

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Give It All You Got

Posi-Tone Records
2021

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Soul Conversations

Outside in Music
2021

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Keeper of the Flame

D Clef Records
2021

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It Happens Like That

From: It Happens Like That
By Ulysses Owens, Jr.

Videos

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