Known for his assured command of trumpet and flügelhorn on brisk numbers, Jimmy Owens has produced relatively few discs under his own name yet earned distinction through sideman engagements across a wide array of ensembles. In the late 1950s he performed with Miles Davis’ group without appearing on any of its recordings. During 1959 he received instruction from Donald Byrd and also joined Marshall Brown’s Newport Youth Band, remaining with that unit into 1960. Throughout the following decade Owens lent his talents to Slide Hampton, Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Herbie Mann, and Max Roach. In 1966 he helped establish the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and simultaneously performed with the New York Jazz Sextet until 1968. Additional affiliations included membership in Clark Terry’s big band and participation in Billy Taylor’s orchestra for David Frost’s television program. After touring Europe with Dizzy Gillespie’s band in 1968, Owens both recorded and appeared live with Duke Ellington and also collaborated with Count Basie. He co-founded the Collective Black Artists organization in 1969 while serving the Jazzmobile as teacher and performer from the late 1960s into the early 1970s. In 1971 he again traveled through Europe, this time with the Young Giants of Jazz, and simultaneously directed his own ensemble, the Jimmy Owens Quartet Plus One. Further credits encompass engagements with radio orchestras in Germany and Holland plus work alongside Chuck Israels’ National Jazz Ensemble. Owens recorded with the Mingus Dynasty in 1979 and with Errol Parker in 1980. As a leader he has cut sessions for Atlantic, Polydor, and Horizon; his most recent solo album, Peaceful Walking, appeared in 2007.
