Ulysees Owens Jr.

Ulysses Owens Jr. – Drums/Leader

Ace Williams – Trumpet

Langston Hughes – Saxophone

Tyler Bullock – Piano

Johnathan Muir Cotton – Bass

Generation Y is a band concept that was conceived back in 2019 with the goal promoting the next generation of dynamic talent from the top music conservatories in NYC and beyond. Led by Ulysses Owens Jr. who is a Multi Grammy Award-winning Drummer, Producer, Educator, Author and Cultural Entrepreneur.

Serving at The Juilliard School in the role of Small Ensemble Director within the Jazz Department for the last 8 years, has given Ulysses a front row seat to this Generation’s top talent.  Ulysses Owens Jr., has been the driving force behind such great artists as Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Joey Alexander and many others. Through his relationship with these great bandleaders he learned of the legacy of Art Blakey and Betty Carter, both of whom were renowned for their own bands (which became educational institutions) and launched the careers of many of today’s paradigm-shifting musicians on the jazz scene. Generation Y is an updated model of the Jazz Messengers, and many of these band members also perform in Ulysses’ big band.

The band just recorded their debut album “A New Beat” that will be released on the Cellar Live Record label, in January 2024. The material on this album is a culmination of repertoire from Ulysses’ influences and mentors like Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove, George Cables, and of course the great Art Blakey.

This album also features a few original compositions from Benny Benack, Anthony Hervey, and the very talented Luther Allison who is an emerging talent performing with Grammy Award-winning vocalist, Samara Joy as her pianist. The album also features a classic from Louis Armstrong titled Heart Full of Rhythm featuring Milton Suggs, which learned during his time as the Louis Armstrong Museum ‘“Armstrong Now Artist in Residence.”

This album is a culmination of repertoire that has been performed by this band around the world over the last 4 years and to add another level of nostalgia; it was recorded at the Legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood,  NJ.

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