Shawn & the Wolf
Biography Shawn & the Wolf
Shawn and the Wolf
are a unique and highly accessible jazz duo that combines trombone with guitar, two instruments seldom heard together. While their music is definitely rooted in a jazz sensibility, they take inspiration from a variety of genres, creating arrangements of tunes like The Beatles' 'Money Can't Buy Me Love' and Burt Bacharach's 'Close to You'. Their music bridges gaps between genres and invites listeners in to an intimate and friendly musical space.
The big sound the duo creates - that can lead you to believe it's more than trombone and guitar you're hearing - is due in large part to Wolf's technique. His playing incorporates bass and percussive sounds not normally associated with the guitar, and he also uses looping techniques to great effect. Together the duo creates music that is deeply infectious and full of life. (Kelley Jo Burk, CBC Radio One, Canada)
Trombonist, Shawn Grocott, has made Germany his home since 1995. He left his native Canada after receiving his Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Regina, in his home-town. He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold as well as at the Musikhochschule Lübeck where he received his Artist’s Diploma.
Shawn’s musical tastes are widely varied which tends to take him in many different musical directions. Among his interests are: orchestral, big band, chamber, jazz and new music. In addition to performances with “Shawn and the Wolf”, he can also be heard playing with the brass ensemble „World Brass“, the brass quartet „Brass Unlimited“, and from time to time as a guest with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Nord-West- Deutsche Philharmonie Herford and Landestheater Detmold, as well as other projects. Since October of 2009 he is also a trombone instructorat the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold and leads the Hochschul Big Band.
After "retiring" from public performance 15 years ago, Wolf, alias Wolfgang Meyer, decided to make his return to the stage with Shawn. During his "off-time" he founded the music store Haus der Musik (House of Music) and its online store www.musikalienhandel.de which he has managed since the beginning.
Wolf's career as a musician has been varied to say the least. He played viola for many years in symphony orchestras, trombone in big bands and guitar in jazz bands. Furthermore, Wolf conducted brass ensembles and worked as a musician in theaters in Germany and abroad. All of these experiences have influenced Wolf's very individual style of guitar playing.
