Jimmy Owens (born December 9, 1943) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

, and educator. He has played with

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

, among many others. Since 1969, he has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus.

Biography

Jimmy Owens was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. He is a jazz trumpeter and, in addition, plays the flugelhorn. He is also a composer, lecturer, arranger and music education consultant, harnessing more than 45 years of musical experience. Owens does not have an enormous number of recordings as a leader; however, his career was instead nourished through session work with groups and band leaders.“Jimmy Owens.”
AllMusic. Accessed on April 23, 2012. His encounter with music encompasses a vast range of intercontinental musical success including ballets, movie scores, serving as a band leader and even creating orchestral compositions.“Full Biography-Jimmy Owens,”
JimmyOwensJazz. Accessed on April 24, 2012. He has performed with jazz musicians such as

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, Charles Mingus,

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

, Count Basie,

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

, Lionel Hampton, Hank Crawford, and Gerald Wilson among others. All throughout his musical career, Owens demonstrated his understanding of the jazz concepts, but also illustrates a proficient comprehension of the blues style, and provided musically emotional atmospheres for ballads.

1950s and 1960s

Owens began playing the trumpet at the age of fourteen under the tutelage of

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

and later studied music composition with Henry Brant. At the age of fifteen, Owens had the opportunity of sitting in with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

' band; however, he did not record with them. In the late 1960s, he was a member of Marshall Brown’s Newport Youth Band. Owens graduated from

The High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as Music & Art (or M&A), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High Sc ...

in New York City when he was aged 14, and subsequently attended the

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the Public university, public university system of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes six campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell ...

, where he obtained his master's degree in Education. In the 1960s, he was a member of the hybrid classical and rock band

Ars Nova ''Ars nova'' ()Fallows, David. (2001). "Ars nova". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan. refers to a musical style which flourished in the Kingdom of ...

. After Ars Nova ended, he was a member of the New York Jazz Sextet. Among the members of this group at various times were Sir Roland Hanna,

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

, Benny Golson,

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist, piccoloist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop ...

, and Tom McIntosh. In addition, he has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus, since the 1970s, touring and playing in festivals and concerts. His performances with his band have taken him to Asia, South and Central America, the Middle East and various parts of Europe. In 1969, he helped found Collective Black Artist, a non-profit jazz education and performing organization. Between 1969 and 1972, Owens was a sideman on ''The

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...

Show'', whose musical director was Dr. Billy Taylor. Sidemen in this group included Frank Wess,

Seldon Powell Seldon Powell (November 15, 1928 – January 25, 1997) was an American tenor saxophonist and flautist whose work spanned multiple genres, including jazz and rhythm and blues. Background Powell worked with Tab Smith (1949), Lucky Millinder (194 ...

, Barry Galbraith, and

Bob Cranshaw Melbourne Robert Cranshaw (December 3, 1932 – November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records as a house bassist to his later involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known f ...

. Stepping into adulthood, Owens had already established a good reputation for himself that led him to the opportunities such as touring France with Duke Ellington.

1970s

Jimmy Owens toured France again in 1971 with the Young Giants of Jazz, performed with radio orchestras in Germany and the Netherlands, and also played with

Chuck Israels Charles H. Israels (born August 10, 1936) is an American jazz composer, arranger, and bassist who is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. He has also worked with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Herbie Hanc ...

’ National Jazz Ensemble. At the 1970

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

, Owens was one of the youngest trumpet players present to participate in a tribute that was played in the honor

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

. That same year, Owens released his first album, ''No Escaping It'' (1970), on which he seamlessly demonstrated his musical edge while maintaining a warm tone, along with decisive notation. In 1972, he was chosen to play a trumpet tribute for past trumpeters, such as

and

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

, at the inaugural Ellington Fellowship Concert that was held at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

.“National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters: Jimmy Owens.”
Accessed on April 23, 2012. In the 1970s, Owens did a great deal of travelling and began doing yearly European Tours in Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, England, the Netherlands, and Sweden. During this time, he was shown a great amount of appreciation in orchestral and symphonic music through his guest appearances with the Southern University Symphony Orchestra, the

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music. History George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Compan ...

, the Symphony of the New World, and the Hannover Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. One of his performance highlights of the 1970s was the tour he took in the U.S. called, Western States Arts Foundation Tour. After his first album, he released three more albums titled, ''Jimmy Owens'', ''Young Man on the Move'' and ''Heading Home''; all of which were released the 1970s. In 1972, Owens began giving back to the community by becoming a member of the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

music panel up until 1976. This organization sought to aid in funding numerous organizations and individual artists.“Jimmy Owens: Biography”
, All About Jazz. Accessed on April 24, 2012. From 1977 to 1981, he was a member of the music panel for the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...

, which funded New York State cultural organizations.

1980s

In the 1980s, Owens demonstrated no lack in the passion that he held for music. He continued venturing overseas, and played in a variety festivals and concerts in different countries. He also performed concerts in the Middle East and Africa during his Tour of North Africa and the Middle East, U.S. State Department (1981). Jimmy Owens Plus also toured South American in their South American Tour (1983 and 1986) and also performed across Central America in their Tour of Caribbean, Central and South America (1989). Owens received several awards during the 1980s including the 'Survival of the Black Artist Award' (1980) from

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

, the International Success Award (1983) from the Marabu Club in Italy, and the "Manhattan Borough President’s Award for Excellence in the Arts" (1986). In 1989, Owens released an album called ''The Jazz Mobile Allstars'', featuring Billy Taylor, Frank Wess, Victor Gaskin, Ted Dunbar and Bobby Thomas.

1990s

In 1990, the Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund was founded to help individual musicians with medical, financial, and housing assistance after

Jamil Nasser Jamil Nasser (born George Joyner, June 21, 1932 – February 13, 2010)Obituary
at All About Jazz and also cre ...

and Jimmy Owens presented this idea to the board. Both Nasser and Owens felt it was very important to help individual jazz musicians rather than organizations. This program not only provided financial assistance, but it also offered counseling in career development as well as substance abuse. In that same year, Owens took a part-time position as an instructor at the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, where he taught private lessons, the business aspects of the music industry and various ensemble classes. In the 1990s, he attended quite a few jazz festivals in Austria, England and in the U.S., while serving as a guest soloist to a variety of bands’ performances in America and Europe. In 1996, Bob Crenshaw, Jamil Nasser, Benny Powell and Owens helped to revitalize the Jazz Advisory Committee at Local 802 in New York City. This particular commission advises Local 802 on the conflicts surrounding most jazz artists and seeks methods of resolution. Owens was also a member of the negotiating committee to secure health and pension benefits, along with schedule wage increases for the faculty at the New School.

2000s

In the new millennium, Jimmy Owens remained moderately involved within programs and events that give back to numerous communities. He performed at a variety of events such as ''Giants of Jazz'' (2002–09) in New Jersey, the ''Cab Calloway Tribute'' (2005) in Japan, and the ''Dizzie Gillespie Tribute'' (2005–07) in New York City. He appeared at numerous festivals across the globe such as the ''Graz Jazz Festival'' (2004) in Graz,

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, the ''World Music Festival'' (2005) in Bahia, Brazil, the ''Novokuznesk Jazz Festival'' (2005) in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

, several celebrations in Italy and the ''Jazz Town Jazz Club'' (2005) in Moscow, Russia. In 2007, he released an album called ''Peaceful Walking'', which was recorded in Italy and contains original songs performed with Great Italian trio Capiozzo- Mecco & Santimone (drum-hammond- guitar). In 2012, he released an album entitled ''Monk Project'', which commemorates the life and musical innovation of jazz pianist

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

, who died in 1982.

Conclusion

Owens is an active member of the jazz education community. He also sits on the board of the

Jazz Foundation of America The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York that was founded in 1989. Its programs seek to help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunitie ...

, which was founded in 1989. He is an innovative and highly skilled jazz artist whose eclecticism incorporates every aspect of jazz music and artistry. His accomplishments are momentous and noteworthy. Not only does his professional musicianship merit acknowledgement and respect, but his role of being an outspoken advocate concerning the welfare of musicians and the jazz culture of America reflects his generosity towards others. He is also a revered composer whose works have been, and still are, performed nationally by the

and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra and various orchestras; also, his music can be heard internationally by the Metropole Orchestra in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and the Hanover Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. His career as a music educator has led him to positions conducting workshops, teaching seminars, giving lectures, and holding concerts at numerous institutes around the world. In 1972 and on the night of the visiting fellows program in honor of Duke Ellington, Owens recalls the night: "I was center stage with some of the greatest men in the history of Jazz, and I wanted to perform something really meaningful. Since Jazz music has its roots in spirituals that later developed into the blues, I wanted to express my respect for these men by performing a spiritual and the blues. I looked around. I saw Eubie Blake, Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Robeson. I was standing in the midst of so many of the African American people who had contributed significantly to the history of American culture. What an incredible moment it was! It reconfirmed for me what I had learned in my travels as an artist. Jazz is the heartbeat of the world."

Discography

As leader

* '' You Had Better Listen'' with

(Atlantic, 1967) * ''No Escaping It'' (Polydor, 1970) * '' Jimmy Owens'' (A&M/Horizon, 1976) * ''

Headin' Home ''Headin' Home'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent biopic sports film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth. The screenplay was written by Arthur "Bugs" Baer f ...

'' (A&M/Horizon, 1978) * ''Peaceful Walking'' (Jay-Oh Jazz, 2007) * ''Monk Project'' (IPO, 2012)

As sideman

;With

Curtis Amy Curtis Edward Amy (October 11, 1927 – June 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Amy was born in Houston, Texas, United States. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up t ...

* ''

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticate ...

'' (Verve, 1967) With

*'' Louis Armstrong and His Friends'' (Flying Dutchman/Amsterdam, 1970) With Bill Barron * '' Jazz Caper'' (Muse, 1978

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Taranto, and proceeds along the gulf coas ...

* '' Variations in Blue'' (Muse, 1983) * '' The Next Plateau'' (Muse, 1987

989 Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat Bardas Phokas (the Younger), who suffe ...

With

* '' Innocence'' (Wolf, 1978) With Gary Bartz * ''

Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...

'' (Milestone, 1968) With

Willie Bobo William Correa (February 28, 1934 – September 15, 1983), better known by his stage name Willie Bobo, was an American Latin jazz percussionist and jazz drummer of Puerto Rican descent. Bobo rejected the stereotypical expectations of Latino m ...

* '' A New Dimension'' (Verve, 1968) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

* ''

Blues - The Common Ground Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1968) With

Jaki Byard John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for h ...

* '' On the Spot!'' (Prestige, 1967) With

* ''

Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...

'' (Atlantic, 1973) With

* '' Dig These Blues'' (Atlantic, 1966) With

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

* '' It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing'' (Flying Dutchman, 1973) With

Teddy Edwards Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone ...

* '' It's All Right!'' (Prestige, 1967) With

* '' The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band'' (MPS, 1968) With

Billy Harper Billy Harper (born January 17, 1943) is an American jazz saxophonist, "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.Chris KelseyBilly Harper Biography ''AllMusi ...

* '' Capra Black'' (Strata-East, 1973) With

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

* ''

Born Free ''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple, who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood and released h ...

'' (Limelight, 1966) With The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra * '' Opening Night'' (Resonance, 1966) – earlier issue on AGP With

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player and composer. Originally from Chicago, Jordan later moved to New York City, where he recorded extensively in addition to touring across ...

* '' Soul Fountain'' (Vortex, 1966

970 Year 970 ( CMLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 970th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' designations, the 970th year of the 1st millennium, the 70th year of the 10th century, and the 1st year ...

With

Eric Kloss Eric Kloss (born April 3, 1949) is an American jazz saxophonist. Music career Kloss was born blind in Greenville, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and attended Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, which was run by his father. When he was ...

* '' First Class Kloss!'' (Prestige, 1967) * '' Life Force'' (Prestige, 1967) * '' We're Goin' Up'' (Prestige, 1967) With

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States. Although Lateef's main i ...

* '' Yusef Lateef's Detroit'' (Atlantic, 1969) * '' Part of the Search'' (Atlantic, 1973) With

* '' Laws' Cause'' (Atlantic, 1968) With

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

* '' I Believe to My Soul'' (Atlantic, 1968) With

* '' Our Mann Flute'' (Atlantic, 1966) * '' Impressions of the Middle East'' (Atlantic, 1966) * '' The Herbie Mann String Album'' (Atlantic, 1967) With

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (September 23, 1935 – December 29, 2023) was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He is known for his innovations in soul jazz and his Swiss Movement, 1969 recording of the protest song "Compared to What". His music ha ...

* '' Comment'' (Atlantic, 1970) With

* '' Music Written for Monterey 1965'' (Jazz Workshop, 1965) With James Moody * '' Moody and the Brass Figures'' (Milestone, 1966) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...

* '' Oliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags'' (Flying Dutchman, 1974) With

David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...

* '' Bigger & Better'' (Atlantic, 1968) *'' Concrete Jungle'' (Prestige, 1978) With

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

* ''

The Way Ahead ''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Wi ...

'' (Impulse!, 1968) * '' For Losers'' (Impulse!, 1971) * '' Kwanza'' (Impulse!, 1974) With

*''The Jazzmobile Allstars'' (Taylor-Made, 1989) with

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He was renowned for his extensive solo work; however, he was also remembered for his time playing with Count Basie, Count Basie's band duri ...

Victor Gaskin Roderick Victor Gaskin (November 23, 1934 – July 14, 2012) was an American jazz bassist. Gaskin was born in The Bronx, New York (state), New York and moved to Los Angeles in 1962. He started playing with Paul Horn (jazz musician), Paul Horn a ...

Ted Dunbar Earl Theodore Dunbar (January 17, 1937 – May 29, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. Career Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Dunbar trained as a pharmacist at Texas Southern University, but by the 1970s he only did pharmac ...

and Bobby Thomas With Buddy Terry * '' Electric Soul!'' (Prestige, 1967) With Charles Tolliver * ''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical shock over a short period of time * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...

'' (Strata-East, 1975) With

Joe Zawinul Josef Erich Zawinul ( '; 7 July 1932 – 11 September 2007) was an Austrian jazz and jazz fusion keyboardist and composer. First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with Miles Davis and to bec ...

* '' The Rise and Fall of the Third Stream'' (Vortex, 1968) * '' Zawinul'' (Atlantic, 1970) With Larry Willis *'' A New Kind of Soul'' (LLP, 1970) With

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. He arranged music for D ...

* '' The Golden Sword'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * '' New York, New Sound'' (Mack Avenue, 2003) * '' In My Time'' (Mack Avenue, 2005) * '' Monterey Moods'' (Mack Avenue Records, 2007) * ''

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

'' (Mack Avenue, 2009) With All Star group * ''One More: Music of Thad Jones'' Vol 1 (IPO Recordings 2005) * ''One More: The Summary - Music of Thad Jones'' Vol 2 (IPO Recordings 2006) With others * Gary Bartz: ''Libra'' ( Milestone Records, 1967/68) * ''Composers Workshop Ensemble'' with Howard Johnson, Warren Smith,

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mis ...

, Al Gibbons,

Johnny Coles John Coles (July 3, 1926 – December 21, 1997) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Coles was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on July 3, 1926. He grew up in Philadelphia and was self-taught on trumpet. Later life and career Coles spent his ...

(Strata-East, 1973) *

: '' It's All Right!'' (Prestige, 1967) *

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...

: '' Heavy!!!'' (Prestige, 1968) * Tom McIntosh: ''With Malice Towards None'' (IPO Recordings 2004) *

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues, and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in P ...

: ''

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

'' (Cadet, 1973) *

Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the ...

: '' Full Circle'' (Flying Dutchman, 1973) *

Bobby Timmons Robert Henry Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He was a sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for two periods (July 1958 to September 1959; February 1960 to June 1961), between which he ...

: '' Got to Get It!'' (Milestone, 1967)

Education

* Masters of Education (M.Ed.), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (1975) * Private composition studies with Henry Brant, New York, NY (1965–66) * Private study on trumpet with Carmine Caruso (1961–63), Dr. Donald Byrd (1958–60) * High School of Music and Art, New York, NY (1961)

Performance highlights

Jimmy Owens Plus ... * Fordham University, ''Bronx African and African-American History Project'' (2013) * ''Jazz Foundation of America Loft Party'' (2009) * ''The Monk Influence, Celebration of Thelonious Monk’s 90th Birthday, New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music'' (2007) * Fordham University, ''Bronx African and African-American History Project'', Bronx, NY (2005) * ''Tour of Caribbean, Central and South America'' (1989) * ''South American Tour'' (1983 and 1986) * ''Jazz in Grande Motte, France'' with Jimmy Owens Plus..., Max Roach and Chico Freeman (1981) * ''Tour of North Africa and the Middle East, U.S. State Department'' (1981) * ''Senegal’s 20th Independence Anniversary Concert and African Tour'' (1980) * ''Western States Arts Foundation Tour'' (1978 and 1979) * ''Manhattan House of Detention Concert Series'' (1974) * Yearly European Tours including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, England (1972 to Present) * ''Kongsberg Jazz Festival'', Norway (1972) Jimmy Owens * ''A Touch of Taylor, Salute to Billy Taylor'', New York, NY (2010) * ''Celebrating Billy Strayhorn'', St. Peter's Church, New York, NY (2009) * University of Pittsburgh ''Jazz Seminar'', Pittsburgh, PA (2007, 2009) * ''Celebrating Billie Holiday'', St. Peter's Church, New York, NY (2008) * ''Giants of Jazz'', South Orange, NJ (2002–2009) Honors and awards * A. B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy (2012) * Y’All New York Salutes Jimmy Owens (2009) * Benny Golson Jazz Master Award, Howard University (2008) * Lifetime Achievement Award, New York Brass Conference (2007) * Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award, Jazz Foundation of America (2002) * Grant for Oral History Project, National Endowment for the Arts (1990) * Manhattan Borough President's Award for Excellence in the Arts (1986) * International Success Award, Marabu Club, Italy (1983) * Composition Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts (1980) * Survival of the Black Artist Award, Howard University, Washington, DC (1980) * New Leaders for the ‘80s Award, ''Black Enterprise Magazine'' (1979) * Presidential Citation, Clark College, Atlanta, GA (1972) * America Achievement Award, Jazz at Home Club of America (1972) * International Critics Poll for Talent Deserving Wider Recognition, ''Downbeat Magazine'' (1967) * Winner of competition to join Newport Youth Band (1959)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Jimmy 1942 births Living people American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters African-American jazz musicians The High School of Music & Art alumni Jazz musicians from New York (state) 21st-century American trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Mingus Dynasty (band) members 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians NEA Jazz Masters