Local Musicians

Featured Musician

London based Rick McClelland has been playing bass guitar in the London area and elsewhere since 1974, playing in many different styles and with a wide range of different groups. After playing the recorder, oboe and trumpet as a child, Rick took up the bass guitar at the age of 14, playing professionally for the first time at the age of 16. Rick has performed across Canada and the Eastern USA as well as in Germany, and while maintaining a focus on jazz Rick has played with rock, pop, funk, soul, Latin, country and ethnic European groups, as well as shows and other commercial music applications.

Rick has played in everything from duos to big bands and a symphony orchestra in concert halls, theatres, bars, churches, community halls, backyards, restaurants, outdoor festivals, arenas, boats, and even parade floats - at times even inflicting vocals on an unsuspecting public [had they known - they might have fled].

Rick has also been a music instructor in London, although now restricting teaching to a very few selected advanced students. While Rick has played many forms of jazz from free to Dixieland, his favourite gigs always allow for the chance to explore musical improvisation with other performers, and of the course the occasional bass solo!

Some of Rick's career highlights include:

• Juno nomination for Best Jazz Album 1985 for "Free For Now" on Justin Time Records with the Oliver Whitehead Quintet featuring Oliver Whitehead - guitar; Pat Dubois - keyboards; Chris Robinson - saxes; Ken Stewart - Drums and with guest performances by Sandy McKay - percussion; Trevor Tureski - marimba; Mary Malone - chocolate chip cookies; and Bob Hughes - percussion
• “Pulse/Impulse” on Justin Time Records featuring Oliver Whitehead - guitar; Pat Dubois - keyboards; Chris Robinson - saxes; Sandy MacKay - Drums
• CD “Natalie Grant” with Natalie Grant – vocals; Duncan Grant – keys; Chris Robinson – sax; John Knapp – drums; Fred Blumas – guitar;
• Jazz festival performances in Montreal; Detroit ;Ottawa; Vancouver; Edmonton; Toronto; and Windsor with the Oliver Whitehead Quintet
• 1987 Vancouver International Children’s Festival with the Oliver Whitehead Quintet
• full scholarship to the Banff School of Fine Arts Summer Jazz Program
• over two years of live jazz radio broadcasts Monday nights at the Marienbad Restaurant
• house bass player for Suz' House of Blues for two and a half years
• member of the Bumpers Show Band
• Member of Modern Time, London rock/jazz fusion pioneering group
• Ontario representative performer with the Oliver Whitehead Quintet at Expo ’86 Vancouver
• toured Eastern USA for two and half years with the Michael Layman Band
• Member of Insomnia, London's hardest working improvisational jazz quintet
• Member of Floating Point, London's premier jazz/funk group

Rick McClelland has also played in thousands of live gigs, radio and TV broadcasts, and stage appearances with numerous different artists including: Dutch Mason - the 'Prime Minister of the Blues'; Phyllis Diller; Del Shannon; Dick Clark's Rock 'n' Roll Revue; Garden Brothers Circus; the RCMP Musical Ride; Pat LaBarbera; Graham Lear; Big Miller; Orchestra London; Denise Pelley; the Johnny Downs Orchestra; the Natalie Howard-Grant Trio; Jack Dekyzer; the Inkspots; the Ice Capades; James Cotton; Herencia Latina; the Rick McClelland Quintet; the Kinsey Report; Della Reese; and many, many others.

Local Jazz Musicians

To find out more about local jazz musicians check out our archives of other featured artists. Explore the many jazz styles, instrumentations, trios, ensemble, and teachers as well. Archives...