BIOS
Sharon Bieck-Shangrow - Tenor & Alto Saxophone
Sharon loves the idea of being the only Hammerette and has plenty of playing experience, having performed in hundreds of venues across Southern Ontario for nearly 30 years with various bands, including The Haircuts (50's and 60's showband for 15 years), The Descendants, Cottonmouth, Steve Spring's Uptown Express, Marshall Dane, The Meteors, Robbie Lane, and Chuck Jackson.
Dave Brinton – Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
Dave’s the madman behind Groove Hammer. He’s been playing guitar since he was 12 when his parents gave him his first guitar that snowy Christmas in 1977. Dave credits Murray McLauchlan, Neil Young, and the Eagles for inspiring him to pick up a guitar all those years ago. Over the years, Dave's musical meanderings have crossed paths with Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Bruce Cockburn, Melissa Etheridge, Neil Finn, Blue Rodeo, Colin James, and Spirit of the West. Ask Dave about how Groove Hammer got its name.
Ian Cayton – Trombone and Vocals
Ian's big, deep sound helps put the hammer in Groove Hammer. Based in Kitchener, he has toured Canada with the entertainment group, Project People, and performs with numerous rock bands in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, while adding his talents occasionally to an Oktoberfest band. Originally from England, Ian is a big fan of the band Sweet and of Guinness Ale…or is it stout?
Patrick Diamanti - Bass and Vocals
Patrick attended the world renowned Humber Jazz program and divides his musical time between playing with Groove Hammer, an eighteen-piece swing band from Toronto, and for local community theatre groups. Patrick's bass playing and energetic stage presence makes up a large part of the groove that goes into Groove Hammer.
Dan Diver - Lead Vocals A classically trained vocalist, Dan has sung many different styles 
of music, and when he's not saving lives in his day job he writes music, paints, and now belts out the tunes in his naturally bluesy timbre to the delight of Groove Hammer audiences! Dan's HUGE smile and happy demeanor are truly infectious and his love for singing can be heard in every note!
Kevin Gibbs - Drums and Vocals
Kevin has played both drums and guitar in countless bands in the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe regions for the past 30 years. His unparalleled knowledge of pop music is truly something to behold. One of the founding members of Groove Hammer, Kevin can be seen behind the drum kit wearing any one of a number of iconic bowling shirts for which he is known.
Stuart Lam – Keyboards
Stuart is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays guitar and bass and has played in numerous bands over the past 20 years, most notably 1994 Juno nominated reggae band Leejahn. Stuart is the newest member of Groove Hammer and brings those classic piano and Hammond B3 type organ sounds to the band’s sonic palette.
Michael Nease - Trumpet
Mike has been a regular performer in the GTA for many years playing lead trumpet for such notable ensembles as NOJO, Freeflight, the Jazz Mechanics, Paul Ashwell big band, and the Humber College Jazz Orchestra. Recording credits include the Absolute Faith Orchestra and Glass Tiger. A busy freelancer, Mike also gigs with MC & Company, Uptown Express & the Nova Sounds Orchestra. Teaching is a passion, and Mike has been the trumpet instructor at Humber's Community Music Jazz Programme for the past 12 years.
Paul O'Shea - Lead Guitar
Paul has been playing lead guitar in numerous bands throughout Southern Ontario since his teens, having traveled on several legendary Canada-by-broken-down-van tours that seem to be a right of passage for so many musicians. Paul currently divides his playing time among three bands. When he's not playing his Gibson ES-335 or Fender Stratocaster, Paul can be found playing his other passion: golf.
Rod Shaver - Sound and Lighting Technician
Rod is the George Martin of Groove Hammer, toiling tirelessly behind the scenes, making the band sound great, fixing technical problems the moment they occur, and all with his patented 100 watt smile! Rod is equally adept at seeing the big picture and helping us see it too! Groove Hammer just wouldn't be the band that we are if not for Rod's work at the sound board. Thank you, Fader Monkey!!