Endea Owens and the Cookout

Upright bassist Endea Owens visits the Friday Musicale with her exciting band, The Cookout.

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, Endea graduated from The Juilliard School, and joined the Late Show with Stephen
Colbertas a member of the house band, Stay Human. Since then, Endea has won an Emmy,
Grammy Award, and a George Foster Peabody Award. Endea’s work has appeared on Jon
Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album “We Are”, Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black
Messiah,and H.E.R’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance.

Endea has a true passion for philanthropy and teaching. She has taught students across the
United States, South America, and Europe. In 2020, Endea founded The Community Cookout, a
non-profit organization birthed out of the Covid-19 pandemic that provides meals and music to
underserved neighborhoods worldwide. To date, Endea’s organization has helped feed over
6,000 people.

In 2022, Endea composed an original piece about the life of Ida B. Wells entitled “Ida’s Crusade”
for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and was also performed by the NYO Carnegie Hall
Orchestra. Endea has written for brands such as Pyer Moss and Glossier. Endea also
premiered a newly commissioned work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the2023
MAC Music Innovator with the organization. In addition to her work with the Cincinnati
Symphony Orchestra, Endea is the curator for the National Arts Club and also a fellow for
“Jazzis Now!” with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, where she presents original
compositions,curates series, and headlines performances for the 2022-2023 season. Endea’s
debut album “Feel Good Music” has recently been released this past September.