Ulysses Owens Jr.: Around the World with U

CELLAR JAZZ (RELEASED MARCH 27, 2026)

Unlike many younger musicians who see themselves as keepers of the hard bop flame,
drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and his Generation Y band adds a spark to the musical flame that burned bright in the late 1950s and 1960s. Fueled by Owens’ powerful drumming, the Generation Y Band (Erena Terabuko on alto, Anthony Harvey on trumpet, Tyler Bullock on piano, Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Nanami Harutra, who joins the band on trombone for two tunes) ignites on a well-balanced set of old tunes, material that rarely gets covered by musicians other than its composers and originals. Old material includes a modern day romp through a medley of Charlie Parker’s “Bebop” and “Confirmation,” with brisk solos from all; the infectious beat of Cedar Walton’s “I’m Not Sure” and Harvey’s lyrical trumpet feature on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust.” Somewhat newer material includes the gospel feel of “Mo’ Betta Blues,” complete with call and response sequences from Terabuko and Harvey; the powerful hard bop groove of Donald Brown’s “New York” and two tunes penned by Mulgrew Miller — “The Light That Grew Amongst Us,” a ballad that features Terabuko’s smoldering alto and “Road Life,” an upbeat swinger that gets added depth thanks to Haruta’s trombone. Originals include the hard bop feel of Tyler Bullock’s “Prodigal Son;” Benny Benack’s mid-tempo blues “Espresso,” Nakamura’s soothing and hopeful “Prayer” and Terabuko’s soulful “Litte Girl Power,” the other tune on which Haruta plays. Like the classic sessions from the golden age of hard bop, Around the World with U is packed with solid arrangements, expressive and explosive solos and hard driving rhythms delivered by musicians who obviously respect the past but have an eye toward the future. Thanks to a group of Gen Y musicians, the music pioneered by the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation is more than music for a repertory band. It is music that continues to inspire, evolve and captures your soul.

BOTTOM LINE: Cellar Music is known for producing many sessions that emulate the music of the hard bop era. Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Around the World with U goes one step further — adding new energy, excitement and compositions to ignite the musical flame that burned bright in the late 1950s and 1960s.