Ulysses'

Ulysses Owens Jr. is steadily establishing himself as a leader in his generation of jazz artists, admired for his sensitive, fiery, and complex playing, vivid display of textural nuance, and gift for propelling a band with charisma and integrity. Both humble in person and imposing behind a kit, Owens is a two-time Grammy® Award winner who has earned his stripes as a member of bassist Christian McBrides acclaimed trio and the driving force of McBrides famed big band. His 2009 debut recording Its Time For U featured several original compositions and arrangements. In 2012, he released a second album, Unanimous (Criss Cross Jazz), featuring Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Jaleel Shaw, Michael Dease, and Christian Sands. In 2010, Ulysses received his first Grammy® for his performance on Kurt Ellings Dedicated To You, and his second Grammy® for the Christian McBride Big Band album, The Good Feeling. This year, he garnered a third nomination for Christian McBrides Trio album, Out Here. Owens flexes his versatility across projects, having toured and recorded with artists including McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, Diane Schuur, Renee Fleming, Monty Alexander, Terence Blanchard, Russell Malone, and Mulgrew Miller. This year marks the release of two new albums as a leader: his third album, Onward and Upward; and Time is Now, the debut album of New Century Jazz Quintet, co-led with Takeshi Obayashi for the Japanese label, Spice Of Life. A native of Jacksonville, FL, Owens credits his earliest mentors with instilling in him a devotion to personal growth at every phase of his career. At 14, Owens was accepted to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts as a classical percussionist, and in his freshman year, surpassed all expectation by winning a seat in the schools top-tier jazz band. That first opportunity led me directly to jazz, he recalls. Wynton Marsalis played Jacksonville that same year, and their meeting became further assurance for