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Ulysses Owens Jr. (born December 6, 1982) is an American drummer and percussionist.

He was the drummer on vocalist Kurt Elling's Grammy-winning album Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, and on bassist Christian McBride's Grammy-winning The Good Feeling.

Biography

Owens was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He began playing the drums at the age of 3. He played many types of music in his younger years, centering on his experience in the church. By the time he was in his early teens, he realized that he would become a jazz musician, and received a full scholarship to study at the Juilliard School, in its inaugural jazz program.

Owens was the drummer on vocalist Kurt Elling's Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, and on bassist Christian McBride's The Good Feeling, both of which won Grammy Awards. He has also played with pianist Joey Alexander. His composition "The Simplicity of Life" was commissioned by the string quartet ETHEL for their multimedia show ETHEL's Documerica.

Charity work

Owens is also the co-founder and artistic director of the charity, Don’t Miss A Beat. DMAB’s mission is “…to blend music, art, academic achievement, and civic engagement to inspire and enlighten children and teens in the Riverside and Brooklyn communities.” After graduating from Juilliard in 2006, Owens traveled the world as a jazz drummer. "I saw so many arts programs for kids, especially in other cultures, and I thought we really need something like this back home." After hearing about Jacksonville's high dropout rate and other problems with struggling youths, Owens and his family designed a program to help suspended youths stay in school. Programming also includes developing workable skills for parents so that, as noted previously, youth have self-sufficient, caring adult role models who are able to provide a safe, healthy environment for their children.

Discography

With Generation Y

• A New Beat (Cellar Music, 2024)

With Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band

• Soul Conversations (Outside in Music, 2021)

With Joey Alexander

• Countdown (Motema, 2016)

With Christian McBride

• Unanimous (Criss Cross Jazz, 2012)
• People Music (Mack Avenue, 2013)
• Out Here (Mack Avenue, 2013)
• Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue, 2015)

With Gregory Porter

• Nat "King" Cole & Me (Blue Note)

With Matthew Whitaker

• Now Hear This (Resilience)

References

1. "Interview: Ulysses Owens". Inflatable Ferret. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
2. "Ulysses Owens Jr. :: OFFICIAL WEBSITE". Usojazzy.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
3. "Nicholas Payton: Boston, February 24, 2011". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
4. "Under the Banner of McBride: Two Bass Hits from a Low-End Giant". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
5. Chinen, Nate (July 7, 2016). "Jazz Pianist Joey Alexander Turns 13 and Debuts New Song 'City Lights'". New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
6. "ETHEL". 29 February 2016.
7. "Steps You Need to Take to Start a Family Nonprofit". Blackenterprise.com. 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
8. Colette, Doug (September 17, 2016). "Joey Alexander: Countdown" (HMTL). AllAboutJazz. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
9. Hale, James (January 2018). "Gregory Porter: Nat "King" Cole & Me". DownBeat. Vol. 85, no. 1. p. 72.
10. Doerschuk, Bob (October 2019). "Matthew Whitaker: Now Hear This". DownBeat. Vol. 86, no. 10. p. 71.

External links

• Official website

• 1982 births
• Living people
• American jazz drummers
• Musicians from Jacksonville, Florida
• 21st-century American drummers
• Christian McBride Big Band members