New Represented Artist: 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.

Owens has been named a Rising Star by DownBeat’s Critics Poll for five years straight, 3rd Runner-Up in “Classic Drum” category by Modern Drummer Magazine “Readers Poll.” He is a recipient of the 2013 ASCAP Plus Award, the 2014 Global Music Award and the 2015 Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Award.

Claiming four successful albums of his own (It’s Time for U, Unanimous, Onward and Upward, and Falling Forward.) Owens has also gained special attention for his performances on the GRAMMY award-winning albums Dedicated to You (Kurt Elling) The Good Feeling (Christian McBride Big Band.) GRAMMY award-nominated albums; Giant Steps,” and Countdown (Joey Alexander) Out Here, Live at The Village Vanguard (Christian McBride Trio) and most recently, Nat King Cole, and Me (Gregory Porter.)

Requested by Wynton Marsalis, and Dr. Aaron Flagg to become an active faculty member of the Jazz Studies Program at his alma mater, The Juilliard School in 2016. A Visiting Artist in Residence at Utah State University (Caine College of Arts), and Faculty Artist in Residence at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida where he teaches the Music Business course. Ulysses also oversees artistic and community programming for hundreds of children and teens as Artistic Director for Don’t Miss a Beat, Inc., a youth-empowerment non-profit founded by his family in 2008 in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Education is incredibly important to Ulysses, in addition to shaping the minds of the next generation of musicians, and those that appreciate the Performing Arts.

Owens’ most recent album, “Songs of Freedom,” features the music of Abbey Lincoln, Joni Mitchell, and Nina Simone; released on the Resilience Music Alliance record label. This album has been selected by JAZZIZ Magazine of one of 10 Jazz albums to listen to in March 2019. The album features Rene Marie, Alicia Olatuja, and Theo Bleckmann as the featured vocalists, and David Rosenthal, Allyn Johnson and Reuben Rogers in the band.

As an educator Owens’ has delved into the realm of being the co-creator of his online jazz drum video course, “Finding Your Beat,” distributed and produced by Open Studio Network, and has amassed thousands of subscribers globally that desire to learn more about his performance and teaching philosophy. As a composer, Ulysses has just published his first snare drum solo composition; “Rudimental,” for the Apaka Publishing company that will be released and distributed in the Fall of 2019. He has also recently been asked by Hal Leonard Publishing company to write his first book “Jazz Brushes for the Modern Drummer: An Essential Guide to the Art of Keeping Time,” to be released   and distributed, January 2020.

Ulysses remains consistently in demand for new projects as an Artist, Producer, Author and Educator, remaining one of the most sought-after drummers and thought leaders of his generation. Yet, what matters to him consistently is giving back and continuing to be grateful for a new day, to make a difference in the lives of others.