Ulysses Owens Jr.

 Heralded as a “powerhouse of a showman” (Glide Magazine), a “legitimate jazz triple threat“ (Critical Jazz) performer, author, and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. goes the limit in the jazz world and beyond.

Ulysses’ writing journey began back in October 2016 when he desired to chronicle his touring experiences on the road to his audiences. Partnering with editor Geveryl Robinson, he was able to start finding his voice by starting his blog, Words from U, initially making his blog available on his website. He published his blog on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and had over 40,000 followers that viewed them monthly.

In November 2018, he was approached by Downbeat Magazine to write a “Masterclass” Piece on what students need to know about being successful post college, and designing their own career. The editors asked Ulysses to expand the piece and featured (2) articles in one: “Designing Your Career, The Missing Link in Jazz Education” and this article became his first published piece. During the height of the Pandemic in June 2020, when musicians were seeking new strategy with regard to navigating the new economic climate when performance art was deemed no longer essential. Jazz Times Magazine reached out to Ulysses to pen his second published article titled “Pandemic Entrepreneurship for Jazz Musicians”.

Ulysses was also approached by Hal Leonard Publishing Company and was asked to write a book about the art of playing brushes for new generation drummers. As of May 2020, Ulysses released his new Brush book, “Jazz Brushes for the Modern Drummer, An Essential Guide to the Art of Timekeeping,” and it has been receiving rave reviews globally and has become a Hallmark Drum publication for students, and jazz drumming connoisseurs.

Ulysses first published book “The Career Guide for Musicians: Turning Your Talent Into Sustained Success” was published by Skyhorse Publishing, and distributed by Simon Schuster, on March 2, 2021. The book was listed on the Amazon “Music Business,” and “Music Entrepreneurship” list of books to read in 2021, and nominated for a Jazz Journal Association Award; it’s also readily available at The Juilliard School Bookstore.

His third book, Jazz Big Band for the Modern Drummer: The Essential Guide to the Large Ensemble, for Hal Leonard Publications will be released in January, 2024. He is also a regular contributing writer for the WJCT Jacksonville Music Experience, Downbeat Magazine, Jazz Times Magazine, Percussive Arts Journal, and an Op- Ed contributor the Florida Times Union Newspaper. 

His fourth book 30 Day Jazz is a collaborative “E-Book” designed with Drumeo for Ulysses’ full-length course for a co-hort of over 5,000 students that signed up to study with him in November 2024. This book consists of daily exercises, listening examples, a playlist of 100 years of jazz drumming genius, coupled with historic facts that assists the students in gaining a necessary understanding of the art form of jazz drumming.

His passion for career development and creative entrepreneurship has taken him around the world as a lecturer at over 50 Universities, Colleges, Conferences and Conservatories; assisting students to identify their purpose, and how to navigate this ever changing entrepreneurial terrain as a creative in the 21st century.

This is an incredibly exciting moment for Ulysses writing journey, because it started as a mere passion and means for expression. In addition to music, Ulysses states “Writing, is still the most comfortable tool I can express myself through, because the relationship between writing, and music are very much intertwined to me.”