Endea Owens creates community & connection at annual Community Cookout Aug. 17

Bassist and educator Endea Owens is bringing her annual Community Cookout to Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park on August 17. The event, presented in partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (NJMH), and the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, seeks to create “inclusive spaces that are accessible to anyone no matter their race, gender, or background. Through music, activism, and meals,” according to the NJMH website. “This event strives to make New York a better place.”

- By JOHNNY KNOLLWOOD

Owens, who is based in NYC but was raised in Detroit, has collaborated with industry giants that include Diana Ross, John Batiste, and Wynton Marsalis, and is a member of the Louis Cato-led band for “Stephen Colbert's Late Show.” She studied at Julliard and was mentored by legendary bassists Ron Carter, Rodney Whitaker, and Marcus Belgrave, and has since appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk, and as a part of H.E.R.’s band