Jimmy Owens is a busy man - always has been, always will be. In the past year, he's produced and released a new CD called Peaceful Walking. As one reviewer said: This terrific quartet is a platform for Jimmy Owens to display his writing, arranging, and playing prowess which he does with precision. He also appears on Gerald Wilson's most recent CD Monterey Moods [2007]. This is his third appearance on a Wilson CD in recent years. He also appeared on the critically acclaimed In My Time [2005] and New York New Sound, Wilson's 2003 Grammy nominated CD. He is a featured soloist on Fabian Zone's new CD, The Masters Return! [2007]. In January, Jimmy was the recipient of the 2008 Benny Golson Jazz Master Award at Howard University.

Jimmy is an active and important member of the Jazz education community. He sits on the boards of the Jazz Foundation and Local 802 AFM. His expertise and knowledge is often called upon for issues relating to health and pension benefits for Jazz artists. Jimmy is one of the few trumpeters of his generation who played as a sideman with such extraordinary Jazz Masters as Lionel Hampton, Hank Crawford, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, Billy Taylor, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band, among others. As a result, he can share unique musical and personal recollections of performing in some of the most exciting bands in the history of Jazz music. His anecdotes are priceless: being chosen by Willie Ruff to play a trumpet tribute to Cootie Williams, Sweets Edison, Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie at the historic 1972 inaugural Ellington Fellowship Concert at Yale University; sitting in with Miles Davis at the age of fifteen; participating in the 20^th anniversary musical celebration of Senegal's independence in 1980. In addition, he's also led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus ' since the 1970s playing at festivals and in concert halls all over the world.

While Jimmy is known as a hard bop player, and it's true, it hardly covers the breadth and scope of his musical skills. Throughout his long career, Jimmy has consistently emphasized in both his performances and recordings a deep understanding of the blues as well as beautiful and articulate emotional projection on ballads. As a reviewer stated in All About Jazz regarding Jimmy's performance on One More: The Summary Music of Thad Jones, Vol 2 (2006), an all-star recording on which Jimmy appeared. Jimmy Owens proves that he's better than ever, whether employing a breathy, vocal quality (Little Pixie), a smooth flugelhorn sound (Three in One), or brilliant and elliptical Jones-like melodic ideas (Rejoice).

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