John McLean

by Greg PratoJazz guitarist John McLean is a well-traveled musician -- raised in both Long Island, NY, and Detroit, McLean then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Shortly thereafter, McLean relocated to Florida (where he received his master's degree at the University of Miami in 1988), before heading to Nova Scotia to teach, and ultimately, settling down in Chicago to focus on his music. He subsequently became one of the area's top jazz guitarists, playing on roughly 20 recordings by other artists, including Chicago vocalists Terry Callier, Grazyna Auguscik, and Patricia Barber, as well as performed on stage with Randy Brecker, Jane Ira Bloom, and Jerry Garnelli, among others. September 2001 saw the release of McLean's debut solo album, Easy Go, on the Premonition Records label.