Endea Owens and The Cookout

“Owens captivated the room with her masterful playing and exuberant charm” – NPR’s Jazz Night in America

Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist of 2019, Juilliard graduate and Detroit native Endea Owens is a vibrant bassist popularly known as a member of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s house band Stay Human, led by Jon Batiste. With her masterful band The Cookout, Owens performs joyful, head-bobbing jazz imbued with a sense of community and activism – a conviction that extends beyond the stage.

She has been mentored by jazz icons including Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter, and has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Steve Turre, among others.

Founded by Endea Owens and birthed as the result of the pandemic, The Community Cookout is an organization that creates inclusive spaces that are accessible to anyone no matter their race, gender, or background. The Community Cookout strives to make New York a better place through music, activism, and meals.