Ulysses Owens Jr

Three time Grammy™ Award-Winning Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., known for being a drummer who (The New York Times) has said “take[s] a back seat to no one,” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation.” Performer, producer and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. goes the limit in the jazz world and beyond; claiming eight successful albums of his own. Owens has also gained special attention for his performances on GRAMMY Award-winning albums by Kurt Elling and The Christian McBride Big Band . In addition to five GRAMMY Award nominated albums with Joey Alexander, Christian McBride Trio, John Beasley’s Monk’estra, and Gregory Porter. Both Jazziz and Rolling Stone Magazines picked his album “Songs of Freedom,” as a Top Ten Album for 2019 and in 2021; his Big Band release, “Soul Conversations,” was voted the top album in May 2021 by JazzIz Magazine. “Soul Conversations,” was added to multiple playlists on Apple Music, Spotify, and Sirius XM; and now the band is touring nationally, and was voted “Rising Star Big Band ” of 2022 by Downbeat Magazine. His recent (eighth) album release A New Beat, features his new “Generation Y” Band on the Cellar Jazz record label. The album was produced by Jeremy Pelt and recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studios, in New Jersey. The album has been #1 on the JazzWeek Radio Charts for 8 weeks beginning in January 2024, through the end of March 2024; and the album was been featured on multiple playlists on Tidal Jazz, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. As an author Ulysses has published three books titled: Jazz Brushes for the Modern Drummer: An Essential Guide to the Art of Keeping Time, “The Musicians Career Guide: Turning Your Talent into Sustained Success, distributed by Simon and Schuster, and Jazz Big Band for the Modern Drummer: The Essential Guide to the Large Ensemble, for Hal Leonard Publications. His latest Big Band book received the “Editors Choice” Award from Music Inc Magazine at the NAMM 2024 Conference in Anaheim, CA. He is also a regular contributing writer for the New York Times, Jacksonville Music Experience, Downbeat Magazine, Jazz Times Magazine, Not So Modern Drummer, Percussive Arts Journal, and an Op- Ed contributor the Florida Times Union Newspaper. He also just completed his 4th book “30 Day Jazz Drummer” for Drumeo publications. As an educator Ulysses has been part the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School as Small Ensemble Director for over eight years ; served on the EDIB (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging) committee. He has also served on multiple panels, the audition live and pre-screening team, and taught various workshops within the Alan D. Marks Entrepreneurship division. He is also the Artistic Director for his family’s arts non-profi organization, Don’t Miss A Beat which has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts for being a leading community arts non-profit in the Southeas utilizing Musical Theatre as a tool to assist youth in experiencing transformative life and future. Recently Ulysses’ collaborated with Musora Media and his band “Generation Y” and created a covers video “Jazz Meets Nirvana” which has garnered over five million viewand counting. Ulysses is most excited about occupying the drum chair in the New Original Broadway production, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” which opened November 11th at the Studio 54 theatre in New York City. He was also voted top Jazz Drummer of 2024 in the Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll, and just won the Drumeo 2024 Jazz Drummer of the Year award. Ulysses remains consistently in demand for new projects, remaining one of the most sought-after 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. He is also avoting member of the Recording Academy, and serves on the Grammy University Mentorship Committee.