Presented in Partnership with Louis Armstrong House Museum and Archives

Heralded as a “powerhouse of a showman” (Glide Magazine), a “legitimate jazz triple threat” (Critical Jazz) and a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one” (New York Times), performer, producer and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. goes the limit in the jazz world and beyond. From GRAMMY award-winning performances with Christian McBride’s acclaimed Trio and Big Band to world tours with Kurt Elling and Joey Alexander, Owens’s artistic command of percussion has earned him positions in some of the most successful jazz ensembles of the 21st century. 

Generation Y is a quintet comprised of the most dynamic young jazz musicians on the scene. Mentored by Owens, this new generation of young lions is dedicated to moving the music forward with a love of the jazz tradition.

Ulysses Owens Jr. is a 2022 Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives Artist-in-Residence as part of the Armstrong Now! initiative. With the fresh addition of over 60,000 new digitized pieces in the Armstrong Collection, artists and innovators are invited to engage with the archives and legacy of Louis Armstrong through a contemporary lens. In this 2023 Hudson Jazz Festival partnership, Owens will be conducting a free masterclass with students from the Hudson City School District as part of its “Voices of Freedom” series, exploring the role of art as a vehicle for social change. 

The lineup:
Ulysses Owens Jr. – drums
Anthony Hervey – trumpet
Birsa Chatterjee – saxophone 
Tyler Bullock – piano
Philip Norris – bass
Milton Suggs – vocals

View the full 2023 Hudson Jazz Festival lineup here.

• Hudson Hall’s programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Governor and the New York Legislature.