About Ulysses Owens Jr.
Three-time GRAMMY™ Award–winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. is recognized as “a drummer who takes a back seat to no one” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation,” according to The New York Times.
A performer, producer, and educator, Owens continues to push boundaries within the jazz world and beyond, maintaining an expansive career as a bandleader, collaborator, author, and cultural leader.
Owens has released eight albums as a bandleader and gained international recognition for his performances on GRAMMY Award–winning albums by Kurt Elling and the Christian McBride Big Band. In 2023, he received his third GRAMMY Award for his participation on an album featuring Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson, and the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.
His work has been recognized by Rolling Stone, which named Songs of Freedom a “Top Ten Album of 2019,” and by Jazziz, which selected Soul Conversations as a top album in 2021. That release received widespread critical acclaim, extensive playlist placement, and launched a national tour. The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band was also named “Rising Star Big Band” by DownBeat in 2022.
Recording Artist & Bandleader
Owens’ eighth album, A New Beat, features his Generation Y Band and was released on the Cellar Live Record label. Produced by Jeremy Pelt and recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studios, the album earned multiple honors, including “10 Albums You Need to Know in 2024” (Jazziz) and “Best Albums of 2024” (DownBeat).
A New Beat reached #1 on the JazzWeek Radio Charts for eight consecutive weeks. In support of the release, Generation Y toured internationally, performing at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, across Canadian jazz festivals, and at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Most recently, Generation Y created the viral video COVERS / Gen Y Plays Nirvana for Musora, garnering over five million views. Due to its success, Cellar Live released the band’s arrangement of Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana.
Generation Y & A New Beat
As an author, Owens has published Jazz Brushes for the Modern Drummer and The Musician’s Career Guide: Turning Your Talent into Sustained Success, distributed by Simon & Schuster. His third book, Jazz Big Band for the Modern Drummer, was released by Hal Leonard Publications in January 2024 and received an “Editor’s Pick” award from Musicians Inc. Magazine at NAMM 2024.
Owens is also a regular contributor to DownBeat, JazzTimes, Percussive Arts Journal, WJCT Jacksonville Music Experience, and the Florida Times-Union. His writing has been featured twice in The New York Times, including articles commissioned by Marcus J. Moore and Giovanni Russonello.
Author & Writer
Owens has served on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School for over seven years as Small Ensemble Director. He has also served on Juilliard’s EDIB Committee (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging) and taught workshops through the Alan D. Marks Center for Career Services and Entrepreneurship.
He is the Artistic Director of his family nonprofit organization, Don’t Miss a Beat, which empowers youth through musical theatre and civic engagement at the DMAB Community Arts Center in Jacksonville, Florida.
Owens also joined Drumeo as its inaugural Jazz Drum Instructor and has developed multiple online courses, including 30 Day Jazz Drummer and Jazz Drumming 101. He previously hosted the weekly YouTube series From the Drummer’s Perspective.
Educator & Mentor
Owens made his Broadway debut at the request of Branford Marsalis and producer David Lai as the drummer for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. The production opened at Studio 54 Theatre in New York City and received acclaim from The New York Times, Variety, and the Chicago Tribune.
Broadway & Theatre
Owens has received numerous awards, including the Beacon College “Difference Maker” Award, the Robert Arleigh White Advocacy Award, and multiple Individual Artist Grants from the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida. He was named 40 Under 40 by the Jacksonville Business Journal and selected for Leadership Jacksonville.
In 2024, Owens was named Jazz Drummer of the Year by Modern Drummer magazine’s Readers Poll and received the Drumeo Award for Jazz Drummer of the Year. He was also inducted into the Jacksonville Music Hall of Fame and named Rising Star Jazz Drummer of the Year by the 2025 DownBeat Readers Poll.
Honors & Recognition
Ulysses Owens Jr. remains consistently in demand for new projects and consulting opportunities. At the core of his work, however, is a commitment to service, gratitude, and using music as a vehicle for education, access, and meaningful impact.