Biography

MEG Records * Press Release December 2023

Award winning Singer-Songwriter-Slide-Guitarist: Tom MacLear releases his long-awaited Blues Album that has been in the works for 20 years.

THE BIG BLUE MAC: Is a who's-who of America's Blues finest musicians: Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal) Dallas Hodge (Canned Heat) Stanley Behrans (War, Canned Heat) Jim Pugh (Robert Cray), Joe Sublett (Taj Mahal), Billy Watts (Eric Burden) Skip Van Winkl (Van Winkl & Teagarden), Rick Solem (Catfish Hodge), Renee DiSisto and more.

THE BIG BLUE MAC is a compilation of recorded tracks dating as far back as 2002 which were added to and developed over 20 years, in-between MacLear’s other recording projects and tours. Archived DATA of the aforementioned masters was finally compiled, produced, re-mixed, & mastered by Tony Braunagel and John ‘JP’ Berreondo at Jellybean Studios, Los Angeles.

After spending 50 years writing, producing, recording and touring in the world of Country, Rock, Celtic, Film and Television projects, MacLear finally releases a gem of his true labor of love: THE BIG BUE MAC

The album was Produced by Grammy Award Winning Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal), all songs written by the Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter Tom MacLear

Tom MacLear’s journey into the Blues market began in 2007 co-producing, performing and recording Dallas Hodge’s ‘REELIN’ CD. Released on MacLear’s label MEG Records, the CD received critical acclaim and propelled MacLear to perform with Dallas Hodge for the next 5 years.

MacLear also toured with Alto Reed’s West Coast Blues Entourage with Larry Zack (Warren Zevon & Jackson Brown), Skip Van Winkl, Dallas and of course Alto Reed (Bob Seger Band) as well as performing at numerous Blues festivals throughout the U.S.

Tom MacLear has been a highly-regarded Bottleneck Slide, Lap Slide player for many bands over the years, to name a few: Dallas Hodge, Teri Reid, Alto Reed, Billy Bremner, Corey Wells, Gordon Waller, John York, Spencer Davis, Canned Heat, Robin LeMesurier, Martin Chambers and many more

Tom MacLear’s last television appearance was 2018, on Jimmy Kimmel Live as a special guest with Cleto and the Cletones throughout the show.

Many incarnations of THE BIG BLUE MAC will follow this project as a revolving band of who's in town between tours from other Blues Legends.

“…Material is not a problem here, Tom has performed and wrote songs for some of the best! Glad I found him…”
The late great Publisher, TV Host: Don Kirschner

“…The man behind the curtain, one of music’s best kept secrets…”
Gordon Waller • Steel Wallet Publishing / Formerly Peter & Gordon

“…Tom Maclear’s day gig for the past thirty years as the spirit whispering in the ears of hit songs by famous artists...”
Dan McClosky The Alternate Root Magazine