Endea Owens & the Cookout

Endea Owens evokes 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 and sensitivity, poised for spontaneity.

In 2018, Endea graduated from The Juilliard School, and joined the Late Show with Stephen Colbert as 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.

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 is set to premiere a newly commissioned work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and will serve as the 2023 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 “Jazz is 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” was released in early 2023.