Ulysses Owens Jr

Country: US

Band or Affiliations: Jazz & Broadway Drummer, Educator, Author, Producer, Content Creator

Current Kit Setup:
A Wonderful World Broadway Show
USA Custom
14x24 BD, 16x18 FT, 16x16 FT, 9x13 TT
6.5x14 USA Custom Bell Brass Snare Drum

UOJ Gen Y Band
Brooklyn Series
14x18 BD, 16x16 FT, 14x14 FT, 8x12 Tom
6.5x14 Full Range Wood Hoop Aluminum Snare Drum

UOJ Big Band
Brooklyn Series
14x20 BD, 16x16 FT, 14x14 FT, 8x12 TT, 5x14 USA Custom Bell Brass Snare Drum

Influences:
Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Vernell Fournier, Mel Lewis, Buddy Rich, Art Taylor, Billy Higgins, Lewis Nash, Kenny Washington, Billy Drummond, Herlin Riley, Greg Hutchinson, Willie Jones Jr., Karriem Riggins

We asked...Why Gretsch?:
"Gretsch has set the standard for the sound of jazz drumming from the beginning of time! Second, all the jazz drumming masters played this brand, and it's my desire to be considered part of the same lineage and sound of them; so Gretsch is the ONLY choice."

Advice to aspiring musicians?:
"Choose what you want to do early on, study, and become obsessive about it until you reach your goals. Then set new goals, and repeat the same process."

Bio:
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.

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-profit 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 Southeast 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 two million views and counting. Ulysses is most excited about occupying the drum chair and joining the upcoming Broadway production, “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” which previews in October, and opened at the Studio 54 theatre in New York City, on November 11th. He was also nominated and won the Jazz Drummer award from the Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll in 2024.

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 a voting member of the Recording Academy, and serves on the Grammy University Mentorship Committee.