Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y at Blue Note Tokyo

Three-time Grammy™ Award-Winning drummer, producer, and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. is a rhythmic force who "take[s] a back seat to no one," according to The New York Times. A musician who "balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation," Owens has established himself as one of the most versatile and sought-after thought leaders in the global jazz scene.

Owens’ career is defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a prolific output that spans over ten albums as a leader. He has earned widespread acclaim for his performances on Grammy-winning albums by Kurt Elling, the Christian McBride Big Band, and the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. His discography also includes five Grammy-nominated records alongside stars like Joey Alexander, the Christian McBride Trio, John Beasley’s Monk’estra, and Gregory Porter.

His 2019 release, Songs of Freedom, was named a Top Ten Album by both Jazziz and Rolling Stone. This success was followed by his 2021 Big Band release, Soul Conversations, which topped the Jazziz Magazine charts and propelled his ensemble to be named the “Rising Star Big Band” of 2022 by Downbeat Magazine. His 2024 album, A New Beat, featuring the Generation Y band, dominated the JazzWeek Radio Charts at #1 for eight consecutive weeks. Building on this momentum, Generation Y will release their sophomore album, Around The World With U, on March 27, 2026, via the Cellar Live label. “Gen Y” is also slated to head back to Vancouver, BC to record their third album with Musora Media featuring cover songs in tribute to their viral “Jazz Meets Nirvana” videos that have amassed close to 10 million views online cementing his status as a digital educator.

As a distinguished author, Owens has published four influential books. His titles include Jazz Brushes for the Modern Drummer and The Musician’s Career Guide, distributed by Simon & Schuster. His work Jazz Big Band for the Modern Drummer (Hal Leonard) received the “Editor’s Choice” Award at the 2024 NAMM Conference. He also created the 30 Day Jazz Drummer E-book in partnership with Drumeo, where his digital courses now reach over 10,000 students globally.

Owens has served on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School as Small Ensemble Director for over a decade, and as a Jazz Drumset Professor at the New School University’s “School of Jazz and Contemporary Music,” program. Beyond the classroom, he is the Founding Artistic Director of Don’t Miss A Beat, an eighteen-year-old family run non-profit organization awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts for its work in youth transformation through musical theatre.



In late 2024, Owens reached a new milestone by making his Broadway debut as the drummer for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical at Studio 54. Recognized as the 2024 Jazz Drummer of the Year by Modern Drummer, the 2025 Rising Star Jazz Drummer by Downbeat, and the recipient of the Drumeo 2025 Dom Famularo Educator Award. Ulysses Owens Jr. remains dedicated to using his platform to mentor the next generation and make a tangible difference in the lives of others.