Acoustic Rooster is a brand new children’s series from GBH Kids based on the book by Kwame Alexander. Alexander and GBH worked with Canadian jazz musician Mark McClean to create original music to accompany the 45 minute feature and all the musical shorts in the series. Just after the premiere, Mark McLean spoke to two new fans of Acoustic Rooster: Jazz on 89.7 hosts Al Davis and Va Lynda Robinson.

Al Davis: This is wonderful, man. You got to tell me about “Acoustic Rooster.” I watched a little of the video, and I was so impressed with it. I’m glad you’re here to talk with us about it, about introducing young people to jazz. How did you get involved?

Mark McLean: The book was when the project first came to my attention. I knew about Kwame Alexander and the children’s book he’d written. And the whole concept behind that was when he had a newborn, he was trying to get his daughter to go to sleep. And I believe he started to play some jazz for her. I think it was like Ella Fitzgerald or something like that. And he had this “oh, wow!” moment when she fell asleep! So he had his idea for this book about this rooster and his barnyard band. And the band is based on different characters, like Mules Davis based on Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald (Finchgerald), we had Louis Armstrong in there too and the whole show was about introducing jazz to preschoolers, learning how to play music together, how to listen to each other and follow the beat. [When it was pitched as a show] they were looking for some music that was energetic and fun that would capture the imagination of preschoolers. So I did an audition and sent in some music, and I ended up getting the gig.

Va Lynda Robinson: Well, Juno award-winning Mark McLean, it’s a pleasure. Correct me if I’m wrong, you started with the piano, then transferred over to the drums. Is that correct?

Mark McLean: That is correct. I started classical piano when I was nine years old. And it’s still my primary composing instrument, but when I was 13, I started junior high and we had to pick a band instrument. So that’s when I made the switch.

Al Davis: Tell us more about this project, and some of the characters. I like... What’s her name? Miss Ella?

Mark McLean: Ella Finchgerald, yes. The premiere was May 1st on PBS. It’s a 44-minute special, and there are also 20 short episodes, about three minutes each, and each episode has a song. And there’s a lesson within each three minute short. One episode that I love is about marimba, and we do Bossa Nova with that. And then we have another one about ragtime, and that episode actually features Herbie Hancock! So it was really great to be able to interact with him and look in on his voice recording sessions and to see how they brought his character, Jersey Hancock, to life in the cartoon.

The main characters in the special were Mules, Duck (Ellington), and Ella. And they all teach Rooster how to play music in a band, because he’s a guitar virtuoso on his own, but the first time he jams with the band, is he’s just not listening and he’s not allowed to be in the band. Then throughout the special, he learns these lessons about how to follow the beat, how to improvise, and how to listen. And eventually he makes the band and that’s the happy ending of the story. We have wonderful writing staff, and they gave me lyrics, and I would put music to it and arrange the music. I didn’t know what the characters looked like. I knew what Kwame’s book looked like, but I knew it was going to be a different animation style for the show. It wasn’t till like four or five months into the process that I started to see the sketches and what the characters would look like. It’s a very fun show. It looks fun. It just feels good. And I’m very happy with the music. The actors did a great job singing. I have an amazing team of musicians and mix engineers with me. And we all worked hard to get it happening, and we had a great time while doing it. 

Al Davis: I had a good time watching it. Great concept, man, unbelievable.

Va Lynda Robinson: What was your process of composing, especially when you didn’t see the storyboard? How did that happen?

Mark McLean: Well, I would get a script, which was great. I had an idea of what was gonna happen in the episode and Julius Harper and Nicole Velez at GBH were like, hey, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us anytime. But they just wanted me to do what I did! When I auditioned with some music, I think I did an arrangement of Old MacDonald. They liked the energy and the creativity from that. So there was a lot of freedom, which was very liberating for me. At the beginning, I was really trying to find my feet in the project because it was new. This is my first series ever as a composer. So it took a while to get going, but they were so helpful. And once I started to see the animation, I was like, “Ooh, now I get it!” It was helpful, helpful for the animators, too. They like animating to the music, which was cool. Usually when I’m doing, you know, a documentary or something, you get the picture first. And sometimes there’s a temporary score underneath, an idea of what they want. But this was like “No, you go first.” I wouldn’t have done it another way, looking back on the project.

Al Davis: You know, this is great for young people because their generation, when they start listening to music, usually it’s electronic, digital sound. They’re not used to hearing real musicians play a trumpet, horn, piano, and what that sounds like. And what you’re doing is introducing them to that, hearing instruments for the first time and learning what music is from the roots, from the beginning to where it is now. And you introduce them to the artists that compiled all that, you know, they’re introduced to Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.

Mark McLean: I like it because it’s education combined with entertainment, you know, there’s something in there. And that’s one of the things I really enjoy about the show.

Va Lynda Robinson: It reminds me a little bit of Sesame Street when I was growing up. You’re introducing young people to this new concept that they never heard about before and then really getting into it and something that will help them as they grow older.

Mark McLean: Yes, I love Sesame Street. I’m so thankful I was introduced to this music at a young age. Fortunately, I have an older brother five years older than me, and he started listening to jazz like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, John Coltrane. And I’m just like, “What is THIS,” you know? Because... I like pop music, I like all that stuff, but I knew that music was special. 

Va Lynda Robinson: I want to talk a little bit about you, Mark. You’ve also worked with jazz masters and pop icons, including Wynton Marsalis, Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, Patty Austin, and the Backstreet Boys. Tell us a little about your evolution.

Mark McLean: Well, I grew up in Toronto and very fortunately there were just so many opportunities to play different styles. I started attending the University of Toronto doing a jazz degree, and I was playing a bass recital and one of the instructors on the panel was Dave Young, who was the bass player for Oscar Peterson. So next thing you know, I did a couple gigs with Dave and then he referred me to Oscar. That’s probably my favorite piano trio of all time, the Oscar Peterson Trio. I was about 21 or 22 at the time. That’s when I was like, ”Wow, I really have a shot at doing this.“ And on the heels of that, I moved to New York. I came across Phil Ramone, the late great producer. And he hired me for sessions with Gladys Knight, Billy Joel, George Michael. And I ended up touring with George Michael for two years. 

Al Davis: Nice.

Va Lynda Robinson: If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about your pedigree for a minute. Your great uncle, Sy McLean, was one of the first Black band leaders in Canada. And your brother Lester is an accomplished saxophonist and vocalist in the Toronto jazz and R&B scene. Tell us about that.

Mark McLean: Let me start with Lester. Lester is just one of those guys. He’s my brother, I’m so biased, but he’s probably one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life. He just has an incredible ear. He’s an incredible vocalist, songwriter, saxophonist, and very supportive. In fact, when we were doing the demos for Acoustic Rooster, Lester sang a lot of the demo vocals that we passed along to the actors. So they sang along with my brother to learn the song. So that was really neat. And Sy McLean, I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting him. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1986, but yes, like you said, he was probably the first Black musician to break the color barrier in Toronto, and the first band leader of color to lead a band across Canada. So very, very proud of him. I’m still looking for information on him. I don’t believe he wrote a lot of music, but I would love to find out if he did, because I would either record it or... If there are recordings, get them out there, because I would love for people to hear them, and I’d love to hear them myself.

Al Davis: Well this has been wonderful, man. I’m looking forward to seeing this on PBS. 

Mark McLean: It’s such a pleasure to meet you both and talk with you. I’m so excited about this project.

Acoustic Rooster is streaming on GBH Passport, with new musical shorts releasing every week through the summer.