Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. This high-octane big band is an expansion of the acclaimed New Century Jazz Quintet, which already features five of the best rising star musicians from New York City and Japan: Ulysses Owens, Jr., Tim Green, Benny Benack III, Takeshi Ohbayashi, and Yasushi Nakamura. Over the past few years, the Quintet has performed to enthusiastic New York audiences at Dizzy’s Club and throughout Japan, leaving no question that they’re all key players in the future of jazz. The big band configuration adds 11 worthy instrumentalists to the mix, giving a platform to even more top emerging voices in jazz. The group’s varied repertoire includes originals and a range of original compositions by Ulysses, and such artists as Michael Jackson, John Coltrane, and Mulgrew Miller, offering a strong foundation for improvised solos and big band fireworks. This band has is also contracted for various high profile artist’s, where Ulysses serves as Music Director and has this great cast of players joining him.