Ulysses Owens Jr.

An award-winning percussionist, ensemble leader, and instructor, Ulysses Owens, Jr. draws on the richly soulful hard bop lineage for his dynamic approach. After completing studies at the Juilliard School, where he now instructs, he first drew notice through appearances on Grammy-winning recordings by the Christian McBride Big Band and Kurt Elling. Beginning with the 2012 release Unanimous, his projects celebrate the acoustic jazz lineage by blending gospel, R&B, and swing elements. The 2019 album Songs of Freedom honored vocal icons Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln, while Soul Conversations in 2021 introduced his own large ensemble; A New Beat followed in 2024, spotlighting the Art Blakey-inspired Generation Y collective.

Jacksonville, Florida, is where Owens entered the world in 1982, taking up drums at age three. Church ensembles shaped his early years, and by adolescence he had already developed considerable skill. A full scholarship brought him to the Juilliard School as one of the inaugural jazz-program participants. Upon finishing his degree he entered the Christian McBride big band, contributing to multiple projects including the Grammy-winning The Good Feeling. He also appeared on vocalist Kurt Elling’s Grammy-winning Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman and collaborated with Joey Alexander, Matthew Whitaker, Gregory Porter, and additional artists.

As a bandleader Owens launched his discography in 2012 via the quintet session Unanimous, which included bassist McBride, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, trombonist Michael Dease, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, and pianist Christian Sands. Subsequent releases comprised 2014’s Onward & Upward and 2019’s Songs of Freedom, the latter examining material associated with Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, and Joni Mitchell in tandem with vocalists Rene Marie, Theo Bleckmann, Alicia Olatuja, and Joana Majoko.

His large ensemble made its first appearance on the 2021 album Soul Conversations, incorporating performances by Stefon Harris, Benny Benack III, Alexa Tarantino, and others. Beyond performing, Owens serves as Small Ensemble Director at his alma mater and founded the non-profit jazz camp Don’t Miss a Beat, where he holds the position of Artistic Director. Stemming from his educational work, he assembled the Generation Y ensemble in 2019, drawing inspiration from the classic groups of Art Blakey and Horace Silver while pairing the drummer with emerging musicians; the collective issued its recorded debut, A New Beat, in 2024.