Dawson Ouellette is an Indianapolis multi-instrumentalist who specializes in jazz, blues, and rock drumming as well as jazz piano.

“He’s a solid player with a deep pocket.” — Brian DeBruler (founder of SOL Records).

Dawson is currently touring with The Duke Tumatoe Trio which is led by former REO Speedwagon member Duke Tumatoe. Additionally, he holds a bachelor’s degree in both Percussion Performance and Music Composition from Bradley University.

“The sticks in his rhythmic hands were a blur of seemingly impossible playing over that drum set. Breathtaking, really.” — Dr. Jeff Huberman (Dean of Fine Arts at Bradley University).

When he began to perform, Dawson could be found at just about every jam session that was open in his hometown Peoria, Illinois. At those jams he was able to learn the art of performing from musicians far more experienced than himself such as David Hoffman, a trumpet player and pianist who toured with the Ray Charles Band for over a decade. These lessons and skills he learned would prove to be extremely valuable and allowed him to break into the Indianapolis music scene.

Currently, Dawson is breaking into songwriting and has written tunes such as “Route 465,” “No Time for Sadness,” and “You’ll Know it’s Real.” This new venture gives him the ability to connect with a wider range of audiences.