Mark McLean had a single criterion when it came time to expand his horizons beyond the groove and record his long awaited breakout as a powerhouse composer and lyricist: it had to: Feel Alright.

Feel Alright is the follow-up to McLean’s acclaimed 2010 indie recording Playground, an all-instrumental showcase for his band of the same name whose tracks earned significant airplay on both traditional jazz and urban jazz stations. The new album is produced by Grammy winning engineer and producer Steve Bigas, well known for his previous work with Taj Mahal and Ziggy Marley and for his long association with Daniel Lanois.

Since moving to New York in 1999 and raising his international profile with his several year association with jazz singer/pianist Andy Bey in 2000, McLean — a jazz performance graduate from the University of Toronto who played at age 22 with fellow Canadian and jazz icon Oscar Peterson - has kept time in the studio and/or on tour with a virtual “who’s who” of jazz and pop artists whose music and influences spans multiple generations. These include Wynton Marsalis, Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Glen Campbell, Carla Cook, Linda Eder, Jimmy Webb, Vanessa Williams, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight, Joe Sample, Jamie Cullum, Andrea Bocelli, Catherine Russell, Dionne Warwick and The Backstreet Boys.