Cy McLean

Cy McLean (1916 – 1986)[1] was a Canadian pianist and band leader, whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1970s. He is particularly notable as having led Canada's only full-scale black orchestra in the 1940s.[2][3] His success as a Canadian black musician is considered to have influenced the success of later Canadian black musicians.[1]

History

Cy McLean was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and relocated to Toronto, Ontario. He formed his first band as of 1937.[2] He was a pianist, who supported himself as a musician through working as a messenger at the Toronto head office of Bell Canada.[1] He became known as the leader of Toronto's first black dance band and, as of the 1940s, led Canada's only full-scale black orchestra.[2] McLean is credited with training many Canadian jazz musicians of his time.[4] He and his band developed their music career through playing at non-union establishments, due to being unable to join the local musicians union.[1] The band became quite popular, and during World War II was sponsored by Lifebouy Soap to tour southwestern Ontario.[1] McLean and his band played in areas of Ontario where a black person had not been seen before. He and his band were sometimes barred from restaurants, in addition to being initially denied union membership. Despite these events, McLean chose to perform exclusively in Canada, stating that "people (in Canada) aren't like they are in the United States. I've never wanted to go down there, for that reason."[4]

In 1947, Cy McLean's band was the first to open Toronto's famed Colonial Tavern.[5] This was considered to be a groundbreaking engagement, since black musicians had heretofore not been allowed to perform at any of the clubs on Toronto's Yonge Street, which was at the time the central focus of live music in Toronto.[6]

McLean was a significant influence on other musicians, both generally and among black musicians facing colour barriers, such as drummer Archie Alleyne.[6]

In his later career, McLean was performing five nights a week at Toronto's Warwick Hotel, prior to dance bands being replaced by other entertainment.[4]

McLean was the great uncle of Canadian drummer Mark McLean.[2]

References
  1. Earlscourt History Club, Black Pioneers of St. Clair Avenue West Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, January 25, 2009, citing Toronto Star Cy McLean obituary, November 1, 1986, A10: "Jazz pianist Cy McLean, 70, led Toronto's first Black band". Retrieved 2011-04-24.
  2. Mark Miller, "The sound of a truly different drummer" Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. The Globe and Mail, January 6, 2005, as reprinted in Mark McLean Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  3. Larry LeBlanc (6 June 1998). "Maritimers Show African Edge". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 70–. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. Jet Magazine, "Moonlight" band leader prefers Canada to U.S., December 27, 1962. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
  5. Ontario Black History Society, Profile of Cy McLean Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine; "Notes From Black History". Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  6. In Our Own Words, Archie Alleyne: Pass it on, February 3, 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
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