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Mark McLean
Toronto Jazz Magazine
by David Sinclair
– November, 1997
At only 22 years of age this vibrant young drummer has come a long way. I first saw him at the Montreal Bistro, and was very impressed with his tasty brush work. Over the past years Mark has studied music at the University of Toronto, Banff Centre for the Arts, Royal Conservatory of Music, and with eminent, private tutors, such as Jim Blackley, Bob McLaren, Phil Nimmons, Paul Read, Kevin Turcotte, Barry Elmes, Mark Kelso, John Obercian, and legendary drummer, Joe Labarbera. Although Mark is mainly known for his drumming ability, he is also a composer and pianist and continues to study with multi-instrumentalist, Don Thompson, a musician who never ceases to amaze me with his talent.
In the past two years Mark has performed with top players such as Dave Young, Pat Labarbera, Don Thompson, Roy Patterson, Darrell Grant, and most recently the world’s greatest pianist, our own Oscar Peterson. He made his debut with the Paul Tobey Trio at the 1997 Montreal Jazz Festival. For the 1997 du Maurier Toronto Jazz Festival, Mark debuted as a leader with his own unit the Mark McLean Quintet. His most recent recording was with vocalist Dawn Sierra and Paul Tobey’s trio on Unity / Page Records. I certainly found Mark dedicated to his music, and certainly a polite person to converse with. I am sure that with his attitude, along with the high standard he sets for himself, he is heading in the right direction.
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