Jimmy Owens (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Owens
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Frank Wess and Jimmy Owens in 1977
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 9, 1943 New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, lecturer |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Associated acts | Ars Nova |
Jimmy Owens (born December 9, 1943) is an American jazz trumpeter. He is also a composer, arranger, and teacher. Jimmy has played with many famous musicians. These include Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie. Since 1969, he has led his own music group called Jimmy Owens Plus.
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About Jimmy Owens
Jimmy Owens was born in New York City, New York. He mainly plays the trumpet. He also plays the flugelhorn, which is like a trumpet but with a softer sound. Jimmy is a talented composer, meaning he writes music. He also arranges music, which means he changes existing songs for different instruments.
Jimmy has worked as a music education consultant. This means he helps schools and groups learn about music. He has over 45 years of experience in music. While he hasn't released a huge number of his own albums, he has played on many recordings with other groups. His music career covers many areas. He has worked on ballets and movie music. He has also led bands and created orchestral pieces.
Jimmy has performed with many jazz legends. These include Max Roach, Duke Ellington, and Kenny Barron. He understands jazz music very well. He also knows a lot about the blues style. He can create emotional music for slow, beautiful songs called ballads.
Early Life and Music
Jimmy Owens started playing the trumpet when he was 14. He learned from a teacher named Donald Byrd. Later, he studied how to compose music with Henry Brant. When he was 15, Jimmy got to play with Miles Davis' band. This was a big deal, even though he didn't record with them.
In the late 1960s, Jimmy joined Marshall Brown’s Newport Youth Band. He graduated from The High School of Music & Art in New York City. He then went to the University of Massachusetts. There, he earned a master's degree in Education.
In the 1960s, Jimmy was part of a band called Ars Nova. This band mixed classical music with rock. After Ars Nova, he joined the New York Jazz Sextet. Famous musicians like Ron Carter and Billy Cobham were also in this group at different times.
Since the 1970s, Jimmy has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus. They have toured and played in many festivals and concerts. His band has performed in Asia, South America, Central America, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1969, he helped start Collective Black Artist. This group teaches about jazz and puts on performances. From 1969 to 1972, Jimmy played on The David Frost Show. This TV show had a famous musical director, Dr. Billy Taylor.
Touring the World
In 1971, Jimmy Owens toured France again. He played with the Young Giants of Jazz. He also performed with radio orchestras in Germany and the Netherlands. He played with Chuck Israels’ National Jazz Ensemble too.
At the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival, Jimmy was one of the youngest trumpet players. He took part in a special tribute for Louis Armstrong. That same year, Jimmy released his first album, No Escaping It. On this album, he showed his strong musical style. He also kept a warm and clear sound.
In 1972, he was chosen for another trumpet tribute. This one honored great trumpeters like Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge. It happened at Yale University. In the 1970s, Jimmy traveled a lot. He started doing yearly tours in Europe. He visited Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, England, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
During this time, he was often a guest performer with orchestras. These included the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Symphony of the New World. He also toured the U.S. with the Western States Arts Foundation. After his first album, he released three more: Jimmy Owens, Young Man on the Move, and Heading Home. All these albums came out in the 1970s.
Jimmy also started helping the community. From 1972 to 1976, he was part of the National Endowment for the Arts music panel. This group helped fund many artists and organizations. From 1977 to 1981, he was on the music panel for the New York State Council on the Arts. This group funded cultural organizations in New York State.
Later Career and Awards
In the 1980s, Jimmy Owens continued his passion for music. He kept traveling overseas. He played in many festivals and concerts in different countries. He also performed in the Middle East and Africa in 1981. His group, Jimmy Owens Plus, toured South America in 1983 and 1986. They also performed across Central America in 1989.
Jimmy received several awards in the 1980s. These included the 'Survival of the Black Artist Award' from Howard University in 1980. He also got the International Success Award from Italy in 1983. In 1986, he received the "Manhattan Borough President’s Award for Excellence in the Arts". In 1989, he released an album called The Jazz Mobile Allstars.
In 1990, Jimmy Owens and Jamil Nasser had an idea. They wanted to help individual musicians with medical, financial, and housing needs. This led to the creation of the Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund. Jimmy felt it was important to help musicians directly.
That same year, Jimmy started teaching at the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. He taught private lessons and about the music business. He also led different music classes. In the 1990s, he attended many jazz festivals. These were in Austria, England, and the U.S. He also performed as a guest soloist with bands in America and Europe.
In 1996, Jimmy helped restart the Jazz Advisory Committee at Local 802 in New York City. This group helps jazz artists with problems they face. Jimmy also worked to get health and pension benefits for teachers at the New School.
In the new millennium, Jimmy Owens continued to help communities. He performed at many events. These included Giants of Jazz in New Jersey and a tribute to Cab Calloway in Japan. He also performed at a Dizzie Gillespie tribute in New York City.
He appeared at festivals around the world. These included the Graz Jazz Festival in Austria and the World Music Festival in Brazil. He also played in Siberia and Russia. In 2007, he released an album called Peaceful Walking. It was recorded in Italy. In 2012, he released Monk Project. This album honored the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
Jimmy Owens' Legacy
Jimmy Owens is very active in jazz education. He is also on the board of the Jazz Foundation of America. This group helps jazz musicians in need. Jimmy is a creative and skilled jazz artist. He uses many different styles in his music. His achievements are very important and worth noting.
He is respected not only for his music but also for helping other musicians. He speaks up for the well-being of musicians. He also supports American jazz culture. This shows how generous he is.
Jimmy is also a respected composer. His music has been performed by orchestras across the U.S. These include the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. His music is also played internationally by the Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands.
As a music educator, he has led workshops and given lectures. He has also held concerts at many places around the world.
In 1972, Jimmy performed at an event honoring Duke Ellington. He remembered that night: "I was on stage with some of the greatest men in jazz history. I wanted to play something truly meaningful. Jazz music comes from spiritual songs and the blues. So, I wanted to show my respect by playing a spiritual and the blues. I looked around. I saw Eubie Blake, Benny Carter, and Paul Robeson. I was standing among so many African American people who had greatly helped American culture. It was an amazing moment! It showed me again what I had learned from my travels as an artist. Jazz is the heartbeat of the world."
Discography
As leader
- You Had Better Listen with Kenny Barron (1967)
- No Escaping It (1970)
- Jimmy Owens (1976)
- Headin' Home (1978)
- Peaceful Walking (2007)
- Monk Project (2012)
As sideman (selected)
- With Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong and His Friends (1970)
- With Billy Cobham: Spectrum (1973)
- With Duke Ellington & Teresa Brewer: It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (1973)
- With Dizzy Gillespie: The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band (1968)
- With Charles Mingus: Music Written for Monterey 1965 (1965)
- With Archie Shepp: The Way Ahead (1968)
- With Billy Taylor: The Jazzmobile Allstars (1989)
Education
- Masters of Education (M.Ed.), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (1975)
- Private composition studies with Henry Brant, New York, NY (1965–66)
- Private trumpet study with Carmine Caruso (1961–63) and 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, 2005)
- Jazz Foundation of America Loft Party (2009)
- The Monk Influence, Celebration of Thelonious Monk’s 90th Birthday (2007)
- Tour of Caribbean, Central and South America (1989)
- South American Tour (1983 and 1986)
- Jazz in Grande Motte, France with 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)
- Yearly European Tours (1972 to Present)
- Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Norway (1972)
Jimmy Owens (Solo/Other Groups)
- A Touch of Taylor, Salute to Billy Taylor, New York, NY (2010)
- University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA (2007, 2009)
- Giants of Jazz, South Orange, NJ (2002–2009)
Honors and Awards
- A. B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy (2012)
- 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)
- Manhattan Borough President's Award for Excellence in the Arts (1986)
- International Success Award, Marabu Club, Italy (1983)
- Survival of the Black Artist Award, Howard University, Washington, DC (1980)
- Presidential Citation, Clark College, Atlanta, GA (1972)
- America Achievement Award, Jazz at Home Club of America (1972)
- Winner of competition to join Newport Youth Band (1959)
