Grayson Brockamp is a New Orleans-based bassist, composer, arranger, educator, and bandleader whose music is rooted in the Black American Music that shaped him. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, Brockamp studied classical and jazz music at the North Carolina School of the Arts before earning his Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

 

After moving to New Orleans in 2013, Brockamp’s perspective on music took a dramatic shift. He quickly developed working relationships with musicians including Nicholas Payton, Jason Marsalis, Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, and Adonis Rose, performing throughout the city and arranging for the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. In 2016, he shared the stage with Stevie Wonder for an impromptu two-hour performance.

 

That same year, Brockamp formed the New Orleans Wildlife Band, an artist-led ensemble built around strong rhythms, vocal harmonies, improvisation, and fiery arrangements of classic songs. He encourages his bandmates to contribute their vocal talents, creating a sound that draws from the blues and gospel with rap lyrics sprinkled throughout. Brockamp has increasingly incorporated his own rapping into his bass playing, mixing Busta Rhymes with Sonny Rollins, and Eminem with Charlie Parker.

 

The Wildlife Band released its debut EP under Nicholas Payton’s Paytone Records in 2017 and its full-length album A Dream Or A Nightmare in 2018, later re-released by Ropeadope Records in 2020. The band has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and maintained long-term residencies at venues throughout New Orleans. Brockamp continues to perform throughout the city with the Wildlife Band and as a freelance bassist, regularly appearing with musicians including Herlin Riley and Johnny Vidacovich.