Biography
Worked With
Performance / Recording Appearances With
Selected Festivals
Special Concerts
Ugonna Okegwo is one of the most distinctive and sought-after jazz bassists in the world. Critics across the globe have praised him for his rich tone, supple sense of swing, stylistic range and inventiveness. These qualities have not only earned him a place on the bandstand with jazz legends as diverse as Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders and Joseph Jarman – they have established him as one of the leading lights of a younger generation redefining jazz for the new century.
"He is very individualistic, both in his soloing and accompanying. I love the way he plays in the ensemble,” says Tom Harrell, with whom Okegwo has worked for many years. “Ugonna does some really creative things that I haven't heard anyone do with his articulation and timing."
Born March 15, 1962 in London to a German mother and Nigerian father, Okegwo was raised in Germany and grew up listening to African-American music -- James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and, eventually, the great Charles Mingus.
"What I always heard first in funk and rock 'n roll were the bass lines, the ostinato, and later, in jazz, the walking bass," he recalls. "That's what first got me playing bass.” The fusing of funk and jazz bass conceptions is a foundation of Okegwo’s unique approach, making his sound instantly recognizable.
In 1986, he moved to Berlin to study with the American expatriates, bassist Jay Oliver, and pianist Walter Norris. There Okegwo caught the attention of many prominent jazz musicians, most notably the trombonist and Mingus alum, Lou Blackburn, who invited Okegwo to tour Europe with his Afro-Jazz group “Mombasa”. While working with Blackburn, Okegwo met and played with trumpeter Joe Newman, drummer Oliver Jackson, and the bassist Major Holley, who encouraged him to move to New York.
In 1989, Okegwo made the leap to Manhattan and began playing with musicians like saxophone legends Big Nick Nicholas, Junior Cook, and James Spaulding. In 1992, a call from legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks led to steady work as a sideman - on stage and in recording studios. In 1994 Hendricks even took Okegwo to the White House to perform for the President. During this time, Okegwo’s artistry attracted two other gifted young musicians -- pianist Jacky Terrason and drummer Leon Parker. The trio joined forces and at famous clubs like the Village Gate and Bradley’s, developing one of the most creative and explosive group sounds of the nineties.
Okegwo is also a bandleader in his own right. In 2002 he took his quartet to Europe and documented the group with a recording entitled "UOniverse" [Satchmo Jazz]. The material, which consists of his compositions and brilliantly arranged standards, draws from a wide range of influences, including jazz, African, funk, and classical music.
Kenny Barron
Bruce Barth
David Berkman
Lou Blackburn
Cindy Blackman
JoAnne Brackeen
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Junior Cook
Monte Croft
Kenwood Dennard
Lou Donaldson
Tom Harrell
Roy Hargrove
Jon Hendricks
Javon Jackson
Joseph Jarman
Geoff Keezer
Peter Leitch
Brad Mehldau
Charles McPherson
Mingus Big Band
Mingus Dynasty
Mombasa
Big Nick Nicholas
Leon Parker
Joshua Redman
Dizzy Reece
Wallace Roney
Kurt Rosenwinkel
David Sanchez
Pharoah Sanders
Marlena Shaw
Carrie Smith
James Spaulding
Grady Tate
Jacky Terrasson
Charles Tolliver
Steve Wilson
George Coleman
Joe Chambers
Walt Weiskopf
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George Adams
Gary Bartz
Michael Brecker
Randy Brecker
Benny Carter
Jimmy Cobb
Harry “Sweets”
Edison
Al Foster
Benny Golson
Al Grey
Johnny Griffin
Billy Hart
John Hicks
Oliver Lake
Kirk Lightsey
Harold Mabern
Wynton Marsalis
James Moody
Cecil Payne
Charli Persip
Dewey Redman
Ben Riley
Clark Terry
Frank Wess
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Antibes (France)
Chicago
Cork (Ireland)
JVC/New York
Leverkusen (Germany)
Lugano (Switzerland)
Marciac (France)
Montreal (Canada)
Montreux (Switzerland)
Mt. Fuji (Japan)
Nice (France)
North Sea (Holland)
Ottowa (Canada)
Pori (Finnland)
Ravinia/Chicago
San Francisco
San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
Umbria (Italy)
Vienna (Austria)
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White House Presidential Performance with Jon Hendricks, 1994
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