and Deborah Dawson Mullins, and three grandchildren, Melinda, Melvin Richard, and Alan R. This was also the period when he formed a quartet that included Bill Pierce, James Williams, and Richard Reid.Īlan and Florence Howell were married in 1954 after she completed nursing school. In 1975, he ended his teaching at Berklee and worked out of his home until his death in 1996. From 1968 to 1975, he worked with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and toured with Brubeck’s family band, Two Generations of Brubeck. Among some of his notable pupils are Harvey Mason, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jake Hanna, Kenwood Dennard, Tony Williams, Keith Copeland, Bobby Ward, Akira Tara, Casey Scheuerell, Yoron Israel, Henrique D’Almeida, and many others.Īlan’s work with Jaki Byard on piano and Richard Davis on bass for Prestige Records was substantial between l963 and l968. He traveled extensively in this country as well as Europe, Australia, and Asia.Īlan was a pioneering jazz drum teacher at Berklee college of Music, where he taught from 1957 to 1975, and his influence continues, with courses and teaching approaches echoing his influence decades after his passing. In the early ’60s, Alan joined pianist Ray Santisi and bassist John Neves as the house rhythm section at Lennie’s on the Turnpike in Peabody, Massachusetts, where the wider world discovered his talent.Īlan recorded with such greats as Booker Ervin, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, George Benson, Clifford Brown, Jaki Byard, James Williams, Andy McGhee, Phil Wilson, Bill pierce, John Lockwood, and many more. He also began his eighteen-year teaching career at Berklee College of Music. In the early 1970s the Fibes drum company took plastic percussion to a wider audience with both Bill Cobham (Mahavishinu Orchestra) and Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) playing clear acrylic kits from Fibes. In 1957, he became the house drummer for six nights a week at Wally’s Paradise in Boston. During the mid-fifties, he was able to maintain an active recording career including clinics and some brief tours. There have been many honors in Alan’s illustrious jazz career. He then returned to Roxbury and began working with his former boss, local bandleader, Sabby Lewis. After his release from the Army in 1953, he toured for three months in Europe with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Cobham's massive drum kit in the mid-1970s, based on a clear acrylic set by Fibes Drums, contained two Fibes kick drums, a custom Duffy snare, two flared-shell rack toms by North Drums, four Fibes rack toms, two Fibes floor toms, two gong drums by Duffy customized by Cobham's drum roadie Jeff Ocheltree, a hi-hat, five Zildjian cymbals, and one. Alan played with the Army Dance Band while stationed at Fort Dix. He studied drum set for four years with percussionist Charles Alden before serving in the Army in 1951 during the Korean War. Complete Drum Set -The Pearl Roadshow drum kit comes complete with everything you need to start drumming right out of the box. By the tender age of fourteen, he was playing professionally.
Alan was raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He was the fourth child born to the late James W. George Alan Dawson (1929 to 1996) was born on Jin Marietta, Pennsylvania.
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