Austin Jazz Community Rallies Around Ephraim Owens With Fundraising Concert
When one of Austin’s most beloved musicians suffers a stroke, the community shows him he’s not alone
When Ephraim Owens got bullied in the third-grade band, he didn’t hide away. Instead, he persevered and continued to practice his trumpet, and improved throughout middle and high school. Decades later, Owens was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame and stands among the city’s most highly regarded jazz musicians.
Owens spent several years learning from acclaimed jazz musicians such as Marshall Ivory and James Clay, playing gigs, and touring with musical groups such as Sheryl Crow, Mumford and Sons, and Roy Hargrove and the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
An overnight change
And then, one night in Chicago 2024, everything changed. While at a club, Owens began feeling strange, leading his friends to call an ambulance. Later at the hospital, Owens received the news that he had a stroke.
Owens was diagnosed with chronic heart failure in 2021, but did not experience such an ordeal until that night in Chicago. People with chronic heart failure can experience fatigue, shortness of breath and weakness, and strokes that occur as a result of the condition can lead to neurological damage or death. When the doctors informed him that he would need to stop touring and change his lifestyle, Owens found the transition to be scary and hard.
“That was the beginning of the now very traumatic and dramatic situation (with) me and my family and the band,” Owens said. “Whenever I was home from touring, I’d always go out and play (but then) the doctor said, ‘You can’t play as frequently as you used to … it might be too much.’ We’ve had to find the balance.”
Support through the community
To alleviate Owens’ medical costs, friends including Angela Jacquez, Tobin Levy, Hilary York and JJ Johnson put together “The Heart Behind the Horn,” a benefit concert sponsored by The Austin Jazz Society, held at The Continental Club on Sept. 14. The concert featured more than two dozen musicians and drew approximately 400 attendees. With help from a raffle and an online auction, this raised around $17,000 that went directly to Owens.
Owens said he was “jaw-dropped” at the concert and described it as a “packed day of love.”
“’I’ve been here playing since ‘94 … and all the people that were there, that performed, I’ve done something with them. I was in awe of how many people were willing to do this benefit for free,” Owens said. “It made me realize I did something right. It was a monumental day that’s gonna stick with me forever.”
A one-of-a-kind person and musician
JJ Johnson, a musician and longtime friend of Owens, was one of the concert’s performers. After meeting in the mid-’90s, the two played gigs and later served as members together in the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Johnson described Owens as a welcoming person with a “sweet, big heart” and said he participated in the concert because of how much he’s given to the music community and beyond.
“He’s definitely one of the musicians who plays for the soul. He’s great at projecting and drawing people in because of (how) he plays,” Johnson said. “He has this unique sound as a result of his experiences and who he is as a human being … it’s a lot of love and warmth.”
Johnson emphasized that music is essential to the world, yet often, people overlook the countless hours dedicated to mastering the craft. He said Owens deserves to be recognized not only for his dedication to music but also for his unique gift of speaking to people through music, even if they don’t understand its mechanics.
“That’s who he is, a really unique individual and musician. A lot of people who encounter him feel that — it’s almost undeniable,” Johnson said. “Soulful … especially in regards to music and as a human being. It’s soulfulness, it’s thoughtfulness, it’s intention … all those things are so strong and come across in what he gives.”
Continuing the support of Ephraim Owens
Since his stroke in 2024, with the support of his family and community, Owens has remained committed to recovering, and his doctors believe he may no longer need the initially predicted heart surgery.
Since Owens has lost his primary source of income, those wanting to support his medical expenses, housing essentials and everyday utilities can make donations through GoFundMe.
RELATED: 20 Years of HAAM: Austin’s Musical Lifeline Hits a Milestone