About

Rod Oughton is a London-based professional drummer whose versatility takes him from an intimate jazz club setting or recording studio to the large festival stage. He has played at some of the UK’s leading music venues, in London’s West End, as well as to international audiences.

Rod received tuition from both the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music (First Class Honours degree) leading to performance opportunities alongside jazz greats including Kenny Wheeler, Dave Cliff, Norma Winstone, Soweto Kinch and Mike Stern. He studied with Martin France (Spin Marvel), James Maddren (Kit Downes Trio) and Jeff Williams (Jeff Williams Quartet).

Rod is endorsed by Bosphorous Cymbals, Ludwig Drums and also by D'Addario, the world's premier manufacturer of various instrument accessories, including Evans Drumheads and Promark Drumsticks.

Artists worked with

• James Taylor Quartet

• Hudson Taylor

• Huw Warren

• Kizzy Crawford

• Hailey Tuck

• Alexander L’Estrange

• Juan Galiardo

• Javier Zalba

• Hannah Grace

• Tom Ridout

• National Youth Jazz Orchestra

• NYJO Nonet

• Egyptian Jazz Projekt

• Mañana Collective

• Old Jelly Rollers

TV/Theatre appearances

• ITV The Sara Cox Show

• Garrick Theatre (West End)

• S4C

Venues/Festivals

• Royal Albert Hall

• Dubai Opera House

• Ronnie Scott's

• The Vortex

• 606 Club

• Latitude Festival (Main Stage)

• Citadel Festival (Main Stage)

• Love Supreme

• Festival No. 6

• BST Festival Hyde Park

• EFG London Jazz Festival

• Manchester Jazz Festival

• Cheltenham Jazz Festival

• Langnau Jazz Festival

• Edinburgh Fringe

Educator

Rod has enjoyed taking part in educational projects and workshops around the country as a NYJO Ambassador. He is a drum tutor at The Rhythm Studio in west London.

In the beginning ...

Given a pair of sticks for his birthday, Rod began drumming at the age of 10, joining the local Camberley Youth Wind Orchestra, followed by the Surrey County Youth Jazz Orchestra as its youngest member. He passed his Grade 8 Drums with Distinction, and in 2007 won a Trinity College Exhibition Award for achieving one of the country's highest Distinction marks in music.

He attended the Royal Academy of Music Junior Jazz Course for two years under the direction of Nick Smart and Simon Colam. As a member of the National Youth Jazz Collective, he worked with Issie Barratt, Mike Walker and Steve Waterman.