Detroit-raised Endea Owens evolves the legacy of great leaders behind the bass. Citing her mentors as Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter, she approaches her sets with commanding presence, sensitivity and an elastic foundation primed for spontaneity. She presents her debut album, Feel Good Music.
Endea Owens and the Cookout is made up of musicians she’s met throughout her time in New York. She writes the music herself and offers it as a “roadmap” to the band, trusting them to take it in the right direction. “What I love about jazz is the freedom of it all,” she says. “It’s always different every time – it can’t be duplicated.”
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 neighbourhoods worldwide. To date, Endea’s organization has helped feed over 6,000 people.