OLLIE SHUTE
Drummer | Percussionist | Educator | Bandleader
Ollie (Oliver) Shute is an award-winning Melbourne-based drummer, percussionist, bandleader and educator known for his versatility across jazz, Afro-Cuban and Latin.
A regular presence on Melbourne’s jazz scene, Ollie performs at venues including Paris Cat Jazz Club, The JazzLab and Uptown Jazz Café, working across small-group jazz, big band, Latin and contemporary settings.
His performance credits include James Morrison, Barney McAll, Yunior Terry, Dick Oatts, Victor Goines, Mat Jodrell, Carl Mackey, Mark Fitzgibbon, Bob Sedergreen and Tony Gould, alongside work with the Paris Cat Big Band, Australian National Youth Jazz Orchestra and La Influencia.
Ollie leads his own projects including the Ollie Shute Septet/Quartet and co-leads Son Y Fuerza, exploring Afro-Cuban and Latin music.
A graduate of the James Morrison Academy of Music, Ollie received its prestigious Performance in Excellence Award, personally selected by James Morrison. He later completed First Class Honours at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, where his research explored the adaptation of traditional Cuban percussion rhythms and concepts to the drumset across Afro-Cuban, Timba and contemporary jazz settings.
In 2026, Ollie was awarded the National Jazz Award at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues.
Alongside performing, Ollie is an experienced educator, teaching at Drumtek, privately and across Melbourne secondary schools.
