Putting a jazz slant on 1990s rock music.
Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y – Kind Of Grunge – [TrackList follows] – Cellar Live CMM042726; 60:05 [10/09/26] ****:
(Ulysses Owens Jr. – drums; Thomas Milovac – bass; Benny Benack III – trumpet, vocals (track 9); Langston Hughes II – alto saxophone; Tyler Bullock – piano, organ; Dan Wilson – guitar, percussion)
There is no shortage of conceptual projects in jazz nor jazz releases which focus on cover tunes. The latest from drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y however is a rarity. Kind of Grunge (the title an obvious nod to Miles Davis’ A Kind of Blue) includes 12 songs associated with bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and others lumped into or linked to 1990s grunge rock and/or alternative rock.
Kind of Grunge is available as a single gatefold CD; a 12-inch, 180g four-sided limited edition double LP; and a digital download (the digital version came out Aug. 14, 2026).
Make no mistake, Kind of Grunge is not a gimmick by jazz artists trying to pull in rock fans, or rock music with a bit of jazz.
This is bona fide, mostly instrumental jazz (there’s one vocal cut) improvised ‘on the spot’ in the studio. The group only rehearsed three pieces. Owens is not a grunge rock fan. So, why did he decide to do this music?
There’s some context to his choice on what to record and why.
In early 2024, Owens participated in the Drumeo studio’s “For the First Time” online video series in which drummers perform to a famous song with the original drum track deleted from the mix. The series host chose “In Bloom,” a hit from Nirvana’s 1991 Nevermind. The result turned into an amazing event, especially since Owens had never played the song or ever heard it. The video accumulated several million YouTube views. Less than a year later, Owens and his ensemble Generation Y – without knowing what they were going to play – reinterpreted Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box.” That video totaled almost 10 million views (and still counting).
Ultimately that led to doing an album of similar music, including the aforementioned “In Bloom” and “Heart Shaped Box,” in which Owens and Generation Y translate 11 alt-rock/grunge tunes and one traditional folk/blues song.
To do this material and do it well takes top-notch musicians.
Owens has previously worked with trumpeters Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and more. He’s issued four albums with his ever-rotating band Generation Y, which often has up and coming jazz players. He won three Grammy’s for his involvement on projects by singer Kurt Elling, bassist Christian McBride and the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. Modern Drummer magazine bestowed Owens as the 2024 ‘Jazz Drummer of the Year’.
Owens has a superb sextet for Kind Of Grunge.
Florida-based bassist Thomas Milovac has led three groups, has four independently-produced records, and appeared on stage with Elling, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci and others.
Trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III’s credits include Elling and the late multi-instrumentalist Joey DeFrancesco. Benack has five solo albums.
Alto saxophonist Langston Hughes II (his father was named after the celebrated writer) is a ‘rising star’ who has performed with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and bassist Rufus Reid.
The young New York City pianist Tyler Bullock’s résumé includes trumpeter Sean Jones, the Roy Hargrove Big Band and more.
Guitarist Dan Wilson, who also adds percussion, has four recordings under his leadership; has been on stage with saxophonist Eric Marienthal, guitarist Russell Malone, the late saxophonist David Sanborn and more; and was nominated for a Grammy for his support on a DeFrancesco studio outing.
Owens begins with a song some believe set the template for the Seattle grunge scene. Mudhoney’s 1988 debut single, “Touch Me I’m Sick,” is known for highly distorted guitars, an accelerated tempo, and hints of the Stooges and the Yardbirds. Owens and Generation Y nearly double the length, use horns in place of guitars, push the rhythmic flow to show a bop determination and edge toward Coltrane’s early spiritual jazz (think Coltrane’s 1961 Village Vanguard residency).
The second cut is a well-nigh unrecognizable rendition of Pearl Jam’s top-ten effort “Even Flow,” the Seattle group’s second single from 1991’s Ten. Owens and Generation Y sustain the main riff via the horns but flip the piece into an ebullient Latin-esque romp light years away from Pearl Jam’s hard rock tale of hard luck. The trumpet and sax trade-offs contribute to the fun.
Not all the material comes from the Seattle area. The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1993 “Disarm” (from the Chicago group’s sophomore full-length, Siamese Dream) is noted for its use of strings and mix of alternative rock and orchestral details. For the jazz version, Bullock’s beautiful piano intro sets a melancholy mood matched by Milovac’s equally solemn arco bass, followed by gauzy horns. Gradually the piece speeds up and veers toward conflict and contrast.
There’s some cross-connections to other tracks on Kind of Grunge and the title track from Hole’s Celebrity Skin. Hole’s singer Courtney Love was married to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and the main riff for 1998’s “Celebrity Skin” was created by Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan. While Hole’s number-one smash is upfront, guitar-heavy alternative rock, Owens and Generation Y translate “Celebrity Skin” into an upbeat ska/Caribbean collation which provides a lighter, playful attribute accentuated by Bullock’s organ embellishments, Hughes stabbing sax, and a rambunctious rhythmic foundation.
There are four tunes related to Nirvana.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” has been adapted by several musicians including the Muppets, Tori Amos and Patti Smith. As a jazz interpolation it’s been done as a piano-driven trio endeavor by the Bad Plus and a fusion/hip-hop variant by the Robert Glasper Experiment. Owens and his ensemble pull out all the stops with a modern, mid-tempo jazz inclination with harmonically creative electric guitar and sometimes contending and sometimes synchronized horns. Wilson’s guitar soloing and Owens’ shifting drum pattern are both prominent and eminent.
“In Bloom” has been redone by others including alt-country singer Sturgill Simpson. Owens completely switches the song’s tone and transmutes it into Brazilian bossa nova centered on Benack’s vocals which bring to mind Harry Connick Jr. This outlier is diverting and entertaining but borders on unintentional parody.
“Heart-Shaped Box” (the first single from Nirvana’s third go-round, 1993’s In Utero) has become popular in and out of jazz. The Rachel Z Trio, the Yaron Harmon Trio and Christopher O’Riley have taped “Heart-Shaped Box.” Milovac starts with a melodic improvisation and then Owens and Generation Y produce a fast-paced and boisterous barn-burner where the horns, drums, piano, bass and guitar form a ‘live in the studio’ timbre. “Heart-Shaped Box” is a bravura presentation.
Owens and Generation Y enter blues territory on their extended rendering of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” a folk/blues standard which dates back to at least the 1870s. It’s also been entitled “In the Pines,” “My Girl,” “Hey Girl,” or “Black Girl.” Blues icon Leadbelly and bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe both did the song in the 1940s. Nirvana added it to their late 1993 MTV Unplugged cable TV appearance and it was released a year later on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York. Over the course of 7:35 the sextet infuses the track with an impression of a person experiencing bitterness, anger and other emotions of betrayal. Wilson’s ardent guitar is perfectly balanced with piano and bass while the horns supply coloring.
In an age where AI can dominate streaming services; where studio post-production can obliterate those important sparks of initial imagination; and where remixes can become more important than primary musical ideas, its energizing to witness music being discovered and created with seasoned artistry and freshness.
—Doug Simpson
Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y – Kind Of Grunge
TrackList:
Touch Me I’m Sick
Even Flow
Would?
Disarm
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Wooden Jesus
Spoonman
Interstate Love Song
In Bloom
Celebrity Skin
Heart Shaped Box
Where Did You Sleep Last Night
