Bassist Breaks Barriers
Endea Owens is one to watch
—Michelle Easley
Recently, the news has been abuzz about women making history by earning jobs in male-dominated fields. The 2021 NFL season had a record breaking season with 12 women serving as coaches in the league. The US Senate’s first Women in STEM Caucus, a new bipartisan group that will work to advance women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and math education and careers (STEM), was recently formed to address what has been recognized as a “vastly under-represented” field for women. Professional sports and STEM careers are only a few examples of career pathways that are traditionally held by men.
Elite, well-paying jobs for professional musicians are no exception. Bands such as The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Saturday Night Live Band on SNL and several other late night bands have all-male bands. Enter Endea Owens. Owens may be the first Black woman to join the ranks as a late-night television musician. And make no mistake, this woman can hold her own.
Owens is a dynamic straight ahead jazz and funk bassist who has taken New York city by storm. She describes herself as a “bassist, composer, educator and activist” who believes in making jazz available to everyone. A native Detroiter, Endea came from humble beginnings. She doesn’t say much about her upbringing, only that she is very close to her mother and together, they have been through a lot. Endea tells of growing up in “extreme poverty” and living in a women’s homeless shelter. Once, at the insistence of her mother, Endea stepped into the hallway of that women’s shelter to practice her bass. “I closed my eyes and let the music take me,” she said. When she opened her eyes, Owens saw an audience of women and their children surrounding her, mesmerized by her strength and her talent. “They were crying and clapping for me and hugging each other. So this was a place that had been full of depression. And in that one moment, it was total happiness.” Owens realized, “This is bigger than me.”
That day changed Owens and started her on a journey to share her gift and love of jazz bass with the world. Her journey would include playing bass with some of the giants in the jazz industry such as Rob Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Solange Knowles, Diana and Rhonda Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Steve Turre.
After completing her degree at Michigan State University in Jazz Bass Performance, Owens set her sights on the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York City for her master’s degree. With the old adage about New York, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” as her rallying cry, Owens moved to New York to become a working musician, determined to never return to Detroit. Endea tells of her first paying gig in New York. She only made $30. “Moving here with no family and no friends, I was very nervous,” she said. “But I have faith in the music. I have faith in myself.” Owens continues “My first two years were tough. I mean, really tough. And the rats took a while to get used to. But I heard if you can make it through the first two years, then you’ll be alright. So, I stuck with it.”
It’s a good thing she stuck with it. Owens’ hard work got her noticed by 11-time grammy nominated musical director Jon Batiste. After only five years in New York, Owens earned a coveted gig as a late-night television show musician for the Late Night with Steve Colbert show. Those late-night gigs don’t come easy nor often for any musician. However, Owen’s dedication to her craft allowed her to crush the glass ceiling and gain a position that is seldom afforded to women, particularly Black women or women of color. When asked about what it felt like to reach that level of success by the age of 30, Owens said “It feels wonderful”
Owen’s achievements come as no surprise to those who know her. Ann Arbor native, jazz vocalist and mentor, Joan Belgrave, calls Owens “a rare talent.” One of her former students, Kendyll Lavant, said “Endea is so gracious. She deserves all good things that come her way because she is as nice as she is talented. She really cares about people.” Owens is a great example to all that a stick-with-it attitude pays off. But this phenom isn’t all “play and no work.”
In the fall of 2019 during all of the uncertainty of the first wave of the covid-19, New Yorkers were suffering. Restaurants were closed. The lights on Broadway were off. A lot of people were out of work. Endea recognized she was one of the fortunate ones. She was still working at a job she loved. So true to her giving spirit, she decided to help the residents in her New York neighborhood, Owens started a community cookout. She purchased healthy meals for 150 people and entertained them with a jazz band. This was not a one-time event. Owens continues to bring a live band of 8-10 members to give free concerts and food to her beloved community. Owens has also started her own band, aptly called the Cookout. Endea Owens and the Cookout band perform at major, historic jazz venues throughout Manhattan.
In keeping with her desire to give back, Endea also works with neighborhood children through the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s education program. She provides young students with an escape from challenging conditions and says she “recognizes” herself in their faces. The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to “entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy.”
To round out what is already an impressive resume, Owens recorded bass for the soundtrack for the Oscar Academy nominated film, Judas and the Black Messiah and she recorded with the artist H.E.R. for her widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance. And Endea’s debut album entitled Feel Good Music is set to be released this March.
Charitable, accomplished, driven and humble are only a few words to describe this major talent. Remember the name, Endea Owens. She’s definitely one to watch.
Feature photo courtesy of Endea Owens