Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band

An award-winning drummer, bandleader, and educator, Ulysses Owens, Jr. is known for his vibrant style, rooted in the deeply soulful hard bop tradition. A graduate of the Juilliard School where he also teaches, Owens first garnered acclaim playing on Grammy-winning albums by the Christian McBride Big Band and Kurt Elling. His own albums, beginning with 2012's Unanimous, reflect his love of the acoustic jazz tradition, mixing gospel, R&B, and swing. In 2019, he paid tribute to his vocal heroes Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln on Songs of Freedom while 2021's Soul Conversations showcased his own big band. In 2024, he released A New Beat, which featured his Art Blakey-esque ensemble Generation Y. Born in 1982 in Jacksonville, Florida, Owens started on drums at age three. He grew up playing in church and by his teens he was already a talented musician. He received a full scholarship to the Juilliard School where he became one of the first students to study in the inaugural jazz program. Following his graduation, Owens joined bassist Christian McBride's big band and played on several of the group's albums, including the Grammy-winning The Good Feeling. He also played on vocalist Kurt Elling's Grammy-winning Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, and worked with Joey Alexander, Matthew Whitaker, Gregory Porter, and others. As a leader, he made his debut in 2012 with Unanimous, a quintet date featuring bassist McBride, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, trombonist Michael Dease, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, and pianist Christian Sands. He followed with 2014's Onward & Upward and 2019's Songs of Freedom, the latter of which found him exploring the music of Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Joni Mitchell alongside vocalists Rene Marie, Theo Bleckmann, Alicia Olatuja, and Joana Majoko. In 2021, he debuted his big band with Soul Conversations, which featured contributions by Stefon Harris, Benny Benack III, Alexa Tarantino, and others. Along with performing, Owens is a Small Ensemble Director at his alma mater. He is also the Artistic Director and founder of the non-profit jazz camp Don't Miss a Beat. In 2019, as an outgrowth of his teaching experience, he formed the Generation Y ensemble, a group that takes inspiration from the classic ensembles of Art Blakey and Horace Silver and features the drummer alongside up-and-coming players. In 2024, the group made their recorded debut with A New Beat.
© Matt Collar /TiVo