Biography of Greg McLean

Atlanta trumpeter Greg McLean , was born in Shreveport, LA (1956). However, he grew up in the NE Atlanta suburb of Chamblee, GA. Greg received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education (1979) from Georgia State University. He continued with graduate school at Florida State University and received a Masters of Music (composition major, 1982). After several years of freelance work in Atlanta, McLean returned to school attending the well known music school at the University of North Texas (1985-86). While there, he concentrated on composition and jazz studies. Since leaving Texas McLean has had a varied musical career. He worked in Baltimore, MD (1986-87) as cornetist for the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble. After freelance work in Orlando, FL, McLean returned to Atlanta in late 1987. Currently, Greg is an Associate Professor of Music at Perimeter College (Georgia State University) where he directs the PC Jazz Ensemble, and teaches courses in music theory, jazz history and music appreciation.

Greg McLean is one of Atlanta’s more versatile musicians. As a trumpet player, McLean is fluent in all musical genres, but enjoys the expressive freedom of jazz. He leads G-Force Jazz, a flexibly-sized combo. The group’s debut CD, Cabin Fever, is available on YouTube. McLean has appeared on over fifty albums and other various recording projects as trumpet player, composer and/or arranger. Since 1975 he has performed in a wide variety of bands, orchestras, brass ensembles, pit orchestras, jazz and pop groups. In 2017 and 2018 Greg made two short tours with the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra. Greg has performed in Europe multiple times with Hotlanta Dixieland Jazz, a New Orleans style jazz group no longer active.  These Hotlanta trips included the Singapore Arts Festival (1996) and a tour of Poland and Russia (1996) as well as trips to France, Spain, Finland, Denmark and Germany.

As a composer, McLean has written several works for the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet. His piece “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” was written for brass quintet and piano. It was aired on NPR’s Performance Today during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. McLean’s compositions have subsequently been performed at the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the National Trumpet Competition, and Trumpet Festival of the Southeast as well as various individual recitals and concerts. His concerto, “The Twain Have Met,” was composed for jazz great Marvin Stamm. It was premiered in 2008 at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville). In April 2011 Stamm premiered “Twain,” re-orchestrated for wind ensemble, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In May, 2012 “Twain” was featured at the 37th Annual Conference of the ITG.