Ulysses

Generation Y is a quintet comprised of the most dynamic young jazz musicians on the scene. This group is dedicated to moving the music forward with a love of the jazz tradition yet with a nod toward the future. Ulysses Owens Jr., has been the driving force behind such great artists as Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Joey Alexander and many others. Through his relationship with these great bandleaders, he learned about the legacy of Art Blakey and Betty Carter, both of whom were heralded for their own bands; (which became educational institutions) and launched the careers of many of today’s paradigm-shifting musicians on the jazz scene.

Guitarist and composer Ben Verdery cites Leonard Bernstein’s magnanimous artistic spirit as the inspiration for this album of new works for guitar and string quartet with the Ulysees Quartet. Indeed, Bernstein’s openness can be seen reflected in the eclectic aesthetic territory on offer, from Bryce Dessner’s percolating Quintet for High Strings to Verdery’s two works for electric guitar and quartet, and Javier Farias’ South American influenced Andean Suite to Verdery’s arrangement of Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata.

What happens when you fuse the power of Beethoven, the raw emotion of Janáček, and the exoticism of Frucht with a beautifully exuberant string ensemble? The Ulysses Quartet gives a definitive answer on SHADES OF ROMANI FOLKLORE, an album exploring the rich and vibrant tradition of Romani music.

His colleague Georg Philipp Telemann, who was only a few years older, described him as “the greatest spirit of his time”. Reinhard Keiser is a striking example of a musician who was held in the highest esteem in his time, but is hardly present today. He wrote numerous stage works for the Hamburg Opera at the Gänsemarkt.