Detroit-raised bassist Endea Owens, a 2015 MSU jazz studies graduate, has built a career as a bassist, composer and recording artist, performing alongside some of the biggest names in jazz and popular music. A former member of Jon Batiste’s band Stay Human and house bassist on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," she has also toured with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Ross, Jennifer Holliday and more.
Now, Owens is bringing her music and her message of community back to East Lansing when she performs with her band, The Cookout, at the Wharton Center on Oct. 9.
The concert brings Owens' feel-good music to East Lansing, reflecting the philosophy behind her artistry and community work: creating spaces where people can come together, experience live music and leave feeling connected.
For Owens, that philosophy was shaped long before she became a professional musician.
Growing up in Detroit, Owens originally played violin in her high school orchestra before a teacher challenged her to pick up the bass. She initially resisted the switch, but the instrument eventually opened a door to a career she had never imagined.
As a student at the Detroit School of Arts, Owens saw MSU Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies Rodney Whitaker perform. The experience made her realize a career in music could be possible for her. When the time came for her to audition for MSU’s Jazz Studies program, Whitaker saw potential, and his mentorship became an important part of Owens' development as a musician. At MSU, Owens found not only a place to develop her musicianship but also mentors who encouraged her to find her own voice.
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“I became the musician I could be because of him,” Owens said about Whitaker.
After graduating from MSU in 2015, she continued her studies at the Juilliard School, earning a master’s degree in 2018.
Owens has returned to MSU several times in recent years. In 2024, she performed at the MSU Jazz Spectacular, spoke at the College of Music’s spring commencement and received the College of Music Distinguished Alumni Award. She also received the MSU Young Alumni Award in 2023.
“I found my space and I found my groove in New York, but it’s also because I found my groove here at MSU,” Owens said.
Visit the Wharton Center event page for tickets.
