Generation Y

Generation Y is a band concept conceived in 2019 with the goal of promoting the next generation of dynamic talent from top music conservatories in New York City and beyond. The ensemble is led by Ulysses Owens Jr., a multi-GRAMMY Award–winning drummer, producer, educator, author, and cultural entrepreneur.

Serving as Small Ensemble Director in the Jazz Department at The Juilliard School for the past eight years has given Ulysses a front-row seat to this generation’s top emerging talent. Throughout his career, Ulysses has been deeply influenced by and worked alongside artists such as Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Joey Alexander, and many others. Through these relationships, he absorbed the legacy of Art Blakey and Betty Carter—bandleaders whose ensembles functioned as educational institutions and launched the careers of many paradigm-shifting jazz musicians.

Generation Y serves as an updated model of the Jazz Messengers, with many of its members also performing in Ulysses’ Big Band.

The ensemble recorded its debut album, A New Beat, released on the Cellar Live label in January 2024. The material on the album reflects the repertoire and influence of Ulysses’ mentors and inspirations, including Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove, George Cables, and Art Blakey.

The album also features original compositions by Benny Benack, Anthony Hervey, and Luther Allison, an emerging talent who performs as pianist for GRAMMY Award–winning vocalist Samara Joy. Additionally, the album includes the Louis Armstrong classic Heart Full of Rhythm, featuring Milton Suggs, which Ulysses learned during his time as an Armstrong Now Artist in Residence at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

A New Beat represents a culmination of repertoire the band has performed internationally over the past four years. Adding an additional layer of historical resonance, the album was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, New Jersey.

Generation Y has also recorded several viral videos for Musora on YouTube, highlighting the ensemble’s collaborative energy and dynamic interplay.

Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Generation Y features:

  • Anthony Hervey – Trumpet

  • Erena Terakubo – Alto Saxophone

  • Langston Hughes III- Alto Saxophone

  • Tyler Bullock – Piano

  • Thomas Milovac – Bass

  • Langston Kitchen- Bass

The People’s Big Band

Ulysses Owens Jr. & The People’s Big Band is a bold, drummer-led ensemble dedicated to performing music at the highest artistic level through improvisation, innovation, and intergenerational collaboration. Recognized as the Rising Star Large Ensemble of 2022 by DownBeat magazine, the band represents a modern evolution of the big band tradition—rooted in excellence, driven by vision, and built for today’s world.

Originally expanding from the acclaimed New Century Jazz Quintet—featuring standout musicians from New York City and Japan including Ulysses Owens Jr., Tim Green, Benny Benack III, Takeshi Ohbayashi, and Yasushi Nakamura—the ensemble has grown into a powerful collective platform for emerging and established voices. With the addition of eleven world-class instrumentalists, the UOJ Big Band blends seasoned artistry with the energy of the next generation, creating a truly intergenerational musical community.

The band’s repertoire reflects its mission: original compositions and arrangements by Ulysses Owens Jr. and band members, alongside fresh interpretations of works by artists such as John Coltrane, Mulgrew Miller, and Michael Jackson. Every performance centers on high-level musicianship, fearless improvisation, and culturally relevant storytelling—honoring the legacies of Buddy Rich, Chick Webb, and Art Blakey while pushing the music boldly forward.

Beyond the stage, The People’s Big Band serves as a hub for mentorship, education, and collaboration, with strong connections to institutions such as Juilliard, Michigan State University, and the University of Alabama. The ensemble is regularly featured in high-profile concerts, recordings, and special projects, with Ulysses Owens Jr. serving as Music Director and visionary leader.

More than a band, Ulysses and The People’s Big Band is a movement—committed to reigniting global excitement for big band music and bringing its power, joy, and relevance to audiences around the world.


We are music for the people—accessible, powerful, and transformative. Through touring, community engagement, and bold artistic vision, we strive to expand the reach of the big band tradition and reimagine its role in the modern world.

We play for the people.

We swing for the future.

This is more than music.

This is a movement.

And the rhythm starts now!

Selected Personnel

Trumpets

  • Nathaniel Williford – Lead Trumpet

  • Noah Halpern – Trumpet

  • David Sneider – Trumpet

  • Anthony Hervey – Trumpet

Trombones

  • Michael Dease – Lead Trombone

  • Pablo Mueller Santiago – Trombone

  • Nanami Haruta – Trombone

  • Altin Sencalar – Bass Trombone

Saxophones

  • Erena Terakubo – Lead Alto Saxophone

  • Markus Howell – Alto Saxophone

  • Diego Rivera – Lead Tenor Saxophone

  • Jason Hainsworth – Tenor Saxophone

  • Joshua Lee – Baritone Saxophone

Rhythm Section

  • Tyler Bullock – Piano

  • Thomas Milovac – Bass