With some of the best of the new generation of musicians, open to the widest of influences, Big Bad Wolf is a London based band featuring washy guitars, ambient vocals, brassy hooks and deep grooves…
…this distinctive sound arises largely from the band’s consistently egalitarian process of group composition, where all 4 members are present from conception to completion of each song. Starting each writing session by recording an open-ended group improvisation, they then listen back, pick out the best ideas and then develop them into intricate and concise pieces of music. Big Bad Wolf have developed a unique way to bridge the gap between improvised music and contemporary pop/rock styles. All four band members have a strong grounding in jazz from their studies on the prestigious jazz course at the Royal Academy of Music and at Leeds College of Music. From this background, the band strives to constantly push the boundaries and blur the edges of the genre through a wealth of influences, from Bjork to Derek Bailey, brought to the table by each member to the group. From the band’s first experimentations in late 2014 there has always been a primary focus on the instrumental blend within the slightly unconventional line up (trombone, guitar, bass VI and drums) and how to work that into forging an individual, contemporary sound whilst still honouring the improvisational element of the jazz tradition.
Big Bad Wolf are proud recipients of a Help Musicians UK Development Grant and are also winners of the 2015 Zealous X Music Category.
Rob Luft – Guitar
Owen Dawson – Trombone & Keyboards
Michael De Souza – Fender
Jay Davis – Drums
“I really like the kind of combination of lazy trombone and darting guitar riffs” – Jez Nelson, BBC Radio 3 (Jazz On 3)
“Sun-drenched blissed-out optimism” – Marlbank