Alan Dawson (July 14, 1929[1] – February 23, 1996)[2] was an American jazz drummer and percussion teacher based in Boston.

[3] Dawson was an early teacher of drummers Tony Williams[1] and Joseph Smyth, known for his work with the Sawyer Brown country music group.

Other students included Terri Lyne Carrington, Julian Vaughn, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Smith, Kenwood Dennard, Gerry Hemingway, Jeff Sipe, Billy Kilson, Joe Farnsworth, Bob Gullotti, Casey Scheuerell, and many others.

[1] He suffered a ruptured disc in 1975 which led to him halting his touring schedule, to leave Berklee and limit his teaching to his home in Lexington, Massachusetts.

[2] With Dave Brubeck With Jaki Byard With Arnett Cobb With Al Cohn With Sonny Criss With Booker Ervin With Frank Foster With Terry Gibbs With Dexter Gordon With Gigi Gryce & Clifford Brown With Lionel Hampton With Illinois Jacquet With Hank Jones With Quincy Jones With Eric Kloss With Junior Mance "With Charles McPherson' With James Moody With Houston Person With Jimmy Raney With Sonny Rollins With Sonny Stitt With Buddy Tate With The Cryan' Shames With Warren Vaché Jr. With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson With Phil Woods