Known as one of jazz’s most vibrant emerging artists, Endea Owens is a Detroit-raised recording artist, bassist, and composer. She has been mentored by jazz icons the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few.
In 2018, Owens graduated from The Juilliard School and joined The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as a member of the house band, Stay Human. Since then, she has won Emmy, Grammy, and Peabody awards. Her work has appeared on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award–winning album We Are, the Academy Award–nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R.’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance.
Owens has a true passion for philanthropy and teaching. She has taught students across the US, South America, and Europe. In 2020, she founded The Community Cookout, a nonprofit organization birthed out of the COVID-19 pandemic that provides meals and music to underserved neighborhoods worldwide. To date, her organization has helped feed more than 6,000 people.
In 2022, Owens composed an original piece about the life of Ida B. Wells for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra entitled “Ida’s Crusade,” which was also performed by Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz. She has written for brands such as Pyer Moss and Glossier. She also premiered a newly commissioned work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as its 2023 MAC Music Innovator. In addition to her work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, she is the curator for the National Arts Club and a fellow for Jazz Is: Now with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, where she presented original compositions, curated series, and headlined performances during the 2022–2023 season. Her debut album, Feel Good Music, was released in 2023.Â
Since releasing her debut album Feel Good Music in 2023, Endea Owens has headlined prestigious venues and festivals across North America, garnering praise for her infectious, community-driven performances. She’s been featured at the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo Music Café, and Carnegie Hall Citywide, and continues to lead her band, The Cookout, in high-profile appearances from the Montreux Jazz Festival to SFJAZZ. In 2025, she was also named a spotlight artist at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival and was selected for the Edinburgh International Festival, further cementing her place as one of the most exciting voices in jazz today.
