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BIOGRAPHY

​The Brief Bio:


Known for his passionate acoustic and electric guitar work both on nylon and steel stringed guitars- Wolfe sings and performs with a stage presence defined by its' warmth and broad appeal.

He has a ready set of popular covers of music from the 50s to the 90s, as well as a genre spanning catalogue of originals in the singer/songwriter, pop rock, jazz instrumental and electronic new age genres.

Wolfe is a prolific songwriter with more than 20 vocal and instrumentally-based solo albums.

Wolfe performs solo (often with a looping pedal at foot) or as the Dean Wolfe Band, but he also is one-half of the 'The Cooper Wolfe Fusion' duo, a melodic jazz partnership incorporating a wide array of influences like latin and rock instrumentals (with Dee Cooper on Piano/Keys , and Dean on Spanish/Electric Guitars). Cooper Wolfe Duo also performs with a guest vocalist, or others on drums or percussion and upright bass. Their jazz compositions range from slow and sophisticated to lively and energetic.

Wolfe's music is featured in commercials and media world-wide, such as prominent placement in the Best Doc of 2017 (Jaipur Film Fistival) ’Nagaland is Changing’.

He was lead guitarist for jazz-fusion band nFuze for 3 years, featured twice at the Victoria JazzFest and jazz clubs like the venerable Hermann’s multiple times.

Wolfe is also proficient in experimental electronic and new age guitar-scapes perfect for art gallery shows for example. He has tens of effect pedal mounted on footpedal-boards creating an orchestra of spacey and sci fi atmospheres. ​

 

The really LONG Bio: 

 

EARLY FORMATIVE YEARS

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Dean Graham Wolfe was born in March, 1968 in St. Catharines Ontario and was raised along with his older brother by his single mom (his parents divorced when he was 5 and his father was absent till Wolfe sought him out in his 20s). 

 

His family remembers his early passion for spending hours in the living room listening to the diverse record collection- becoming a Beatles fan at preschool age.

 

He occasionally pretended to play drums and guitar using pots, wooden spoons, and a badminton racket. 

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Aside from the kitchen ware, Wolfe grew up having an antique white upright piano available to tinker with. At 4 he could spontaneously pick out melodies he'd heard on the radio from memory. He showed no serious interest in lessons until aged 10, and began by teaching himself piano, announcing he’d found a key purpose in his life: composing and (eventually) recording music. 

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Inspired mainly by synthesizer-based music like German band Tangerine Dream and the Tubular Bells album by Mike Oldfield, Dean composed many long suites of music. 

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Feeling limited to composing only on keyboards, Wolfe decided by age 12 (after playing piano for 2 years) that the guitar could expand his arch of composition. Not to mention being attractive as a more portable instrument and ‘kind of cool’ in his eyes.  

 

A second contributing influence pushing Wolfe towards the six-stringed instrument was his cousin (future Canadian fine artist, Mark Reutter) who played electric and classical guitar. They jammed for long afternoons in Mark's attic bedroom. 

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Wolfe requested lessons, but his mom- raising two kids alone, couldn't afford it. His grandparents in Germany (where his mother was born)- getting wind of his new passion- helped pay. They were cultured musicians and artists themselves. 

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Wolfe went through '10 different guitar teachers' he says, often not giving more than one lesson to prove themselves as worthy instructors and musicians. He found one specializing in jazz guitar and theory at the Walter Ostanek's Music store in St.Catharines. Though Wolfe wasn't seeking out jazz players per se, he quickly realized the chord and scale theory would give him the practical framework he sought.

 

When this teacher moved away months later, Wolfe felt he had a good enough basis to teaching himself and never took another formal guitar lesson since and would eventually would be a part-time teacher himself (though he is now thinking to seek out a flamenco guitar teacher).  

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His first acoustic guitar, a gift from his Aunt Barbara, was 'a smaller-scaled cheapo' that met the need adequately. Next came a full-sized 'cheapo'. He didn’t try out the electric guitar til beyond his first year playing, and recommends the same all beginners. 

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Wolfe recalls nearly giving up guitar at the one year point (age 13), feeling he hadn’t made enough progress and couldn’t play ‘fast solos’ yet. But he resisted the urge to quit. 

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Dean cites King Crimson's album "Discipline" as a major influence on his guitar playing at the time. Also "Close to the Edge" and most albums by the classic progressive rock band Yes featuring his favorite ‘all-round’ guitarist and Hall of Fame star Steve Howe (whom he met in a New York State rest stop restaurant in 2008- thereby ‘completing’ his life, he says).

 

Most other early guitar/musician influences for Wolfe were funny enough Canadians: Ian Crichton of Saga, Alex Lifeson of Rush, Bruce Cockburn, and lesser known artists like the band FM and pioneering ambient violinist/mandolinist Nash the Slash.

 

EARLY BANDS & SOLO ACTIVITY

 

Around 1983 Wolfe moved to London Ontario Canada. The first garage band Dean played in, which was never named, and only ever played in a garage, was a disciplined group of 16 year old musicians rehearsing challenging cover tunes without a singer, It was fertile learning ground preparing Wolfe's for a life-transforming experience a year later. 

 

A brand new Top-40 rock band called FXU led by Alan Brearley (a.k.a. producer Alan Brey- now based in Tokyo and London UK) was rehearsing in Ingersoll Ontario, but without the guitarist they needed for an upcoming tour. A month into rehearsals, auditions were still fruitless.  

 

Wolfe had placed ads in local music stores in London Ontario seeking musicians to populate his own band. Alan answered the ad. Moments into the call, it was obvious Wolfe fit the bill and FXU had their guitarist.

 

At age 17 Wolfe moved out of home to join a full-time band. He feels he flourished as a player, cutting his teeth and establishing his chops thanks to performing 2 hours a night/ 6 nights a weeks for the next 20 months at triple A clubs (and occasional dives, featuring knife-bearing leather-clad bikers demanding ZZ Top instead of Duran Duran, Wolfe reports). 

 

FXU changed members several times. Their flashy uber-talented Neil Peart-clone drummer Jonathan Dobson was briefly replaced by a Hamilton drummer who had a pending warrant out for his arrest (it was eventually learned), A permanent replacement came with a 6'7" drum corp aficionado Shawn "Gramps" Bryan from Sarnia Ontario. 

 

Two lead vocalists came and went, and the final line-up saw the group as a power trio, set up identical to prog rockers Rush (Al taking on lead vocalist position as well as bass, keyboards and keyboard programming/foot-pedal synthesizer). Dean didn't sing at all with this band. He didn't consider himself one until much later. 

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Though FXU was a cover band, Wolfe and Brearley collaborated extensively, writing and performing original tunes, recording demos in Toronto studios with drummer Shawn Bryan as a distinctly prog/ shoe-gaze sounding power trio. 

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At one point they began working with future Juno award winning producer Dan Brodbeck while his studio was still in his parents' basement.

 

One track, Dancing on the Curves of the Moon, did garner major label interest, and was licensed to Gary McGill for his CD Alien Resident in Waiting. Wolfe was disappointed he wasn't asked to perform his trademark solo for the tune.

 

Several recordings done with Alan and also solo tracks later on landed runner-up positions on radio contests despite the fact progressive rock music was declining in popularity by the late 80s and early 90's.

 

FXU band amicably disbanded, though Wolfe and Brearley continued to write and record demos together for a year as they became room mates in downtown London Ontario. 

 

Dean would then pull a career U-turn and head to Chef school to get his red seal papers before coming back to the musical fold as a solo artist and bassist or guitarist in several cover and original bands, also based in London Ontario, including Astrogroover, Killing Stone, and Supertree (eventually called Grandeur), taking him to more Ontario and Quebec venues on mini tours. 

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Wolfe eventually tired of depending on other musicians, and began exploring life as a solo artist.

 

He started singing -which he'd outright avoided up to that point for no other reason than assuming he wasn't a good singer.

 

He focused on the acoustic guitar, developing folk singer/songwriter sensibilities and a new more self-contained persona emerged.

 

During this phase Wolfe self-produced several solo cassettes, performing all the instruments himself. He had some Toronto Label interest yet nothing solidified.

 

Wolfe placed well in radio contests, most notable at the time because he had recorded his songs in his bedroom and all other finalists' songs had being recorded in professional studios.

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While living in San Francisco for 2 years (2001-2003) Wolfe met drummer/singer Kurt Kramer in a cafeteria. They hit it off and began to jam, composing music which would be recorded live in the basement of a magnificent San Francisco building called Arden Wood.

 

The music was heavily inspired by The Dave Matthews Band, with more aggressive and technical acoustic guitar stylings.

 

Wolfe also explored many alternate guitar tunings.

 

The duo called themselves Halogen.05 .

 

Wolfe self-produced the album using a Roland VS-1680. There were only a couple of live performances with Wolfe on acoustic guitar and Kurt on a cajon.

 

A second album was sketched out but Wolfe had to return to Canada at the expiration of his work visa. Some of the compositions would resurface on next solo CD 11:59, notably 'Rasputin'  (co-written with Kramer) and 'Jack in the Box'.

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Returning home to Toronto Canada, Wolfe recorded the solo album 11:59 himself as the only performer on the CD, including banjo, pedal steel and cello.

 

He performed in local cafes and clubs with cellist Cheryl O and drummer Josh Broadbent. 

 

He had a brief stint as live support musician with indie-rock band Autumeve as cellist and keyboardist. One summer he worked with Oakville-based singer/songwriter Andy Griffiths for several live shows under the moniker 'Mayberry'.

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Gradually Wolfe moved back toward a more rock sound, as can be heard by the offerings on his CD Play. 

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OtherProjects: 

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JAZZ FUSION EXPLORATIONS 

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In 2015 Wolfe began re-listening to some of his favorite early fusion artists like  Bruford (with Alan Holdsworth) and Pat Metheny. He then composed and recorded his own solo instrumental fusion album called "Profusion".

 

Next, Wolfe decided to take it a step farther and actually start a live fusion band. Mirroring his early experience with FXU, there was an already-assembled and rehearsing band lacking the right guitarist. A craigslist ad facilitated the union and the nFuze lineup was near complete. nFuze interpreted as a band some of Dean's compositions from Profusion.

 

Intially Wolfe says he continually doubted himself- wondering if he could rise to the technically difficult heights of fusion jazz- but after months of arduous rehearsals the band started gelling and were up to performing live- with a set of original tunes and several complex covers.

 

Public perception was so immediately positive that by the end of their first gig in Victoria no less than three subsequent engagements were booked by handshake, including the prestigious Victoria Jazzfest (2015 and again in 2017).

 

A self-titled CD was hastily assembled with Dean at the mixing board. Sadly nFuze never recorded an 'official' CD. (NOTE: nFuze have been on hiatus since August 2017)

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Later Wolfe teamed up with former Keyboardist Dee Cooper of nFuze to for Cooper Wolfe. They explore modern melodic instrumental jazz compositions as a duo and occasionally adding upright bass and percussion. 

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AMBIENT ELECTRONIC EXPLORATIONS

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Wolfe's felt an affinity to ambient electronic soundscapes, only dabbling with it over the years with the odd keyboard that came in went through his home studio. But technology had finally caught up, creating possibilities for guitarists to create swirling electronic worlds via guitar effect pedals. 

 

He for a while went under the moniker Cubic Pi (a name his children came up with while brainstorming in the car). He produced a short video explaining his attraction to ambient music. 

 

Looping plays a key roll in much of the down-tempo atmospheric music often inspired by astronomy and deep space-themes, as well as nature (and occasionally cats). 

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REVISITING CLASSIC PROG ROCK

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An on-and-off-again project called Bending Cities had Wolfe producing a self-titled EP with accompanying lyric videos on YouTube. Fellow Victoria area singer/songwriter Gabriel Munro provides most of the epic lyrical content. A band was tentatively assembled at one point, but Wolfe was unable to dedicate time to the project. 

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KID'S MUSIC

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Being a family man, creating kid's music was inevitable. The kick-off was a song called It's Time to Go to Bed which Wolfe posted on YouTube. The project is still waiting in the wings.

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DEAN'S DIVERSITY IN GENRE: TYRANTS OF FREEDOM BAND

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(NOTE: this project proved to be temporary)

 

Music is communication, says Wolfe. "Sometimes quiet and subtle is the way to go. Other times... a megaphone might be more appropriate. I've expressed myself through a diversity of genres, and my appreciation for hard rock and metal-ishness needed an outlet."  

 

Ergo Tyrants of Freedom, a project drawing inspiration from Foo Fighters, Led Zepelin, Black Sabbath, Rush, Van Halen. "It's not a departure as much as it's a return to some of my 'loud roots'. I was into Iron Maiden and Ozzy while touring with FXU, and I realized the place this style of music had in communicating with audiences- the simplicity that it enforces in songwriting and performing. 

 

ToF is about solid ideas, riffs, raw energy, justice, saving the planet,..and of course the odd love song."  

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PRODUCTION MUSIC FOR FILM & MEDIA

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Wolfe's sizable and constantly growing music catalog has been licensed for use in film and media. For example, his acoustic solo fingerstyle guitar piece 'fish are jumping' features prominently in award-winning documentary Nagaland is Changing . His current main online agents are Pond5.com, Audiosparx.com, and productiontrax.com .  

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DISCOGRAPHY

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PERSONAL LIFE

 

Wolfe is married and has 3 kids (his daughter tragically died at 17yrs), and since 2011 lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He has lived in San Francisco (2001-2003), Brampton Ontario, St. Catharines and Toronto, Canada. 

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Dean and his family were all vegan since oct 2014 for environmental and ethical reasons but since 2023 dropped all food-diet labels. He has a few abandoned but useful YouTube channels focusing on this interest including cooking:  Vegan Tastes Good, and Vegan Funny? (a comedy skit channel).

 

Dean dropped out of High school in grade 10 to tour, but attended college a few years later. He is a schooled chef and Taste of Canada medalist. He was a chef with Westin Hotels for 10 years. As well as music production work, Wolfe is also Christian Science nurse and Christian Science practitioner.

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Wolfe also has recorded traditional and original Christian works and performed in churches (he is a Christian Scientist, not to be confused with the unrelated Scientology).

 

He has recorded over 100 videos of acoustic guitar adaptations of keyboard-based hymns he grew up with. He encompasses these works under the name "Soul Haven"  and plans to produce several CDs.​​

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MUSIC BLOG BY WOLFE​

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NOTED FILM CREDITS

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  • Nagaland is Changing  (Winner: Best Documentary 2017 Jaipur International Film Festival) (Golden Beaver award for Best film in institutional category at the 6th National Science Film Festival.) Song: "Fish are Jumping"

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