Ulysses Owens Jr.

An award-winning drummer, bandleader, and educator, Ulysses Owens, Jr. is known for his vibrant style, rooted in the deeply soulful hard bop tradition. A graduate of the Juilliard School, where he also teaches, Owens first garnered acclaim playing on Grammy-winning albums by the Christian McBride Big Band and Kurt Elling. His own albums, beginning with 2012's Unanimous, reflect his love of the acoustic jazz tradition, mixing gospel, R&B, and swing. In 2019, he paid tribute to his vocal heroes Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln on Songs of Freedom, while 2021's Soul Conversations sh...