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Verified Global Musician

Mark McLean

Mark McLean is a Toronto-born, New York-based drummer, bandleader, songwriter, recording artist, and screen composer working across jazz and popular music.

DrumsBandleaderSongwriterScreen composer1 current show
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Photo source · Official artist media

Career Overview

About Mark McLean

McLean's official biography traces classical piano study in Toronto, a move to drums, early performances with Oscar Peterson, and relocation to New York in 2000. It presents drumming, bandleading, songwriting, recording, and composing for screen as connected parts of his practice.[1]

The artist's discography separates leader records from a large sideman catalog. His biography also documents scores for How It Feels to Be Free, Black Liberators WWII, and the animated series Acoustic Rooster, alongside international touring work.[1][2]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader, drummer, songwriter, and producer

Mark McLean leader groups

The official catalog documents leader albums including Playground and Feel Alright, with McLean's writing presented alongside his drumming.[1][2]

Composer

Music for documentary and animation

McLean's biography identifies documentary scores and the preschool jazz series Acoustic Rooster as a growing branch of his composing work.[1]

Drummer and collaborator

Touring and recording ensembles

The artist biography and discography document work across jazz, vocal, theater, and popular-music projects without treating every session as permanent membership.[1][2]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

2010

Playground

Leader, drummer, and songwriter

Playground is the first of the two leader albums foregrounded in McLean's current official biography.[1][2]

Release details

2014

Feel Alright

Leader, drummer, and songwriter

Feel Alright continues McLean's leader catalog with songwriting and groove-centered ensemble work.[1][2]

Release details

2017

It Feels Alright

Leader and recording artist

The artist-maintained discography lists the later leader release separately from Feel Alright and the rest of his sideman catalog.[2]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Official watch and listen page

Hear McLean's leader work, ensemble performances, and screen projects through his artist-selected media.

Official discography

Browse McLean's leader releases and detailed sideman recording chronology on his artist site.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Sun, Oct 25, 6:00 PM

JODI PROZNICK / MARK MCLEAN QUARTET

Frankie's Jazz Club · Vancouver

Show details

Evidence-Based Connections

Related Musician Guides

Connections below come from shared current Jazz DateBook bills or normalized documented performance roles—not subjective similarity.

Anthony FungDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · BandleaderAnwar MarshallDrums · BandleaderShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · BandleaderBill StewartDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · BandleaderBilly MintzDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · BandleaderBrian BladeDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · BandleaderByron LandhamDrums · BandleaderShared documented roles: Drummer · Composer · Bandleader

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Official biography and screen-composing work

    Mark McLean

  2. [2] Official leader and sideman discography

    Mark McLean

  3. [3] Official performance and listening archive

    Mark McLean

  4. [4] Official portrait gallery

    Mark McLean