Yes they are a nice combo of melee, heals, nukes, stuns, and group buffs + rez. Lots of fun to play.
Take a gander at the spell list to get an idea.
http://www.thottbot.com/?c=Shaman
They get leatehr right away and can learn axes and chain and such down the road. From what I have read you can kinda custom make your shaman over the levels to become a better nuker, healer, or melee.