Ulysses Owens Jr. is a three-time Grammy Award-Winning musician, producer, educator and author. Owens Jr.’s music has been praised by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Downbeat and more, and he’s played on releases by Kurt Elling and The Christian McBride Big Band, among others. Aside from recently releasing his eighth studio album, Owens Jr. has authored three books, his latest is called The Essential Guide to the Large Ensemble, and he’s a regular contributor to the Jacksonville Music Experience, WJCT Public Media’s music platform. He’s a faculty member at The Juilliard School, where he’s the director of the Small Ensemble program. He’s also the Artistic Director for his family’s arts non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida called “Don’t Miss A Beat,” and the newly appointed Artistic Director for the Friday Musicale Summer Jazz Camp in Jacksonville. He has a three-year appointment as the Educational Artist in Residence for SF Performances in San Francisco, CA.
Keanna Faircloth is radio personality, writer and artist advocate. From 2019-2022, she served as the host of Afternoon Jazz on WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, NJ. While at WBGO, Faircloth created and produced the widely acclaimed interview series, The Pulse. She is the creator and host of the podcast Artimacy, where she has interviewed artists like Robert Glasper, Dionne Warwick, Wynton Marsalis, Melba Moore, and countless others. In 2019 she was named a “Future African American Leader in Radio” by Radio Ink Magazine in 2019. She has written for WBGO, WRTI, The New York Times, and NPR Music. She is also a contributor on NPR’s New Music Friday edition of All Songs Considered, and a music contributor on NPR’s Here and Now.
She is currently the Artist Relations Coordinator for jazz and classical piano at Yamaha.
Episodes:
April 21 - “The Magic of Jazz Vocals” A playlist of seminal and contemporary jazz vocalists (from Abbey Lincoln to Samara Joy, Ella Fitzgerald to Jazzmeia Horn and more), plus interviews with emerging artists who are drawing on the past while putting their own stamp on the genre (Christie Dashiell and Ekep Nkwelle), this episode puts the spotlight on vocal performance.
April 28 - “The State of the Tenor” A playlist of heralded standard bearers and innovators (Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Bill Barron), “The State of the Tenor” lends added heft to the tenor saxophone. The heavier cousin of the alto and symbol of jazz artistry since the Jazz Age, the tenor remains a malleable instrument, capable of channeling the past while pushing into the future. Interview with contemporary musician and historian James Brandon Lewis.
May 5 - “Jazz Meets Harp” Though it’s more often associated with classical music, the harp holds a special place in jazz. From the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane to the influential work of Dorothy Ashby, the harp – though an underappreciated instrument – continues to be a vehicle for transcendent musicians, including Brandeer Younger. This episode will dive deep into the harp, broadening the conversation around the mysterious and elegant instrument with a playlist that puts the harp front and center, and an interview with Brandee Younger, a contemporary artist whose work has brought the harp wider recognition.
May 12 - “A Night at the East” (Strata East Records) A playlist of songs that exemplify the catalog of Strata East Records, a label whose 1970s releases brought post bop, spiritual and afro jazz to a broader audience and earned the label an enduring following. Interviews with Strata East cofounder Charles Tolliver and New York Times music critic Marcus J. Moore.
May 19 - “Jazz in Florida” Though not often heralded as a jazz hub, the Sunshine State has played an outsized role in the evolution of the genre. A playlist of Florida-born, Florida-bred and Florida-aligned artists, “Jazz in Florida” also features an interview with legendary alto-saxophonist and longtime FL resident and educator Bunky Green. May 26 - “40 Plus Years of the Jax Jazz Festival” Throughout the 1980’s and into the ‘90s, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival – originally called the Mayport and All That Jazz festival – was not only a commercial success, but ranked among the top festivals in America, in terms of critical acclaim. Keanna and Ulysses take Jazz Beyond Tradition on a sonic journey through the storied past of Northeast Florida’s premier cultural event while simultaneously bringing listeners up to speed on the festival’s 2024 iteration with music from artists who’ve played the festival in the past and standouts from this year’s lineup. They’ll also engage those most familiar with the festival’s history (Longtime WJCT station manager David Luckin, Executive Director the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum Carol Alexander)
Hide full description
Ulysses Owens Jr. is a three-time Grammy Award-Winning musician, producer, educator and author. Owens Jr.’s music has been praised by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Downbeat and more, and he’s played on releases by Kurt Elling and The Christian McBride Big Band, among others. Aside from recently releasing his eighth studio album, Owens Jr. has authored three books, his latest is called The Essential Guide to the Large Ensemble, and he’s a regular contributor to the Jacksonville Music Experience, WJCT Public Media’s music platform. He’s a faculty member at The Juilliard School, where he’s the director of the Small Ensemble program. He’s also the Artistic Director for his family’s arts non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida called “Don’t Miss A Beat,” and the newly appointed... Show full description
