Cliff Leeman
Cliff Leeman (September 10, 1913 – April 26, 1986) was an American jazz drummer. His nickname was "Mr. Time". Leeman, born in Portland, Maine, United States, played percussion with the Portland Symphony Orchestra at age 13, and toured as a xylophonist on the vaudeville circuit late in the 1920s. He first made his name in the jazz world working in the swing bands of Artie Shaw (1938–39), Glenn Miller (1939), Tommy Dorsey (1939), Charlie Barnet (1940–43), Johnny Long, and Woody Herman (1943–44). After a stint in the Army in 1944, he worked with Don Byas, John Kirby (1944–45), Raymond Scott, Jimmy Dorsey, and Ben Webster. He left the music industry briefly before joining the Casa Loma Orchestra in 1947, later moving on to Charlie Barnet's orchestra (1949) and Bob Chester's big band ensemble (1949–50). He played on radio and television in the 1950s, in addition to playing live often with Eddie Condon and Bobby Hackett. Later associations include Pee Wee Erwin, Yank Lawson/Bob Haggart, Ralph Sutton, Billy Butterfield, Bob Crosby (1960), Wild Bill Davison (1962), Dukes of Dixieland (1963–64), Peanuts Hucko, Joe Venuti, The Kings of Jazz (1974), Bud Freeman, Don Ewell, the World's Greatest Jazz Band (1976–77), and Jimmy McPartland. He recorded several albums for Fat Cat Jazz in the 1970s. His drumming can also be heard on some of the early recorded hits of Bill Haley & His Comets. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 10, 1913 (Portland), Died April 26, 1986
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1962
Roles Represented in DAHR: drums, traps
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 276-300 of 373 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | 86982 | 10/29/1954 | [Unknown title(s)] | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 86983 | 10/29/1954 | Song from Desiree (We meet again) | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 86984 | 10/29/1954 | Tiger rag mambo | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 86985 | 10/29/1954 | [Unknown title(s)] | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87959 | 5/8/1954 | I want to be happy | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87960 | 5/8/1954 | Sweet Georgia Brown | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87961 | 5/8/1954 | Big noise from Winnetka | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87962 | 5/8/1954 | Love me or leave me | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87968 | 5/8/1954 | When the Saints go marching | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87969 | 5/8/1954 | Blues | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87971 | 5/8/1954 | Lover-1 | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87972 | 5/8/1954 | At sundown-2 | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87973 | 5/8/1954 | St. James infirmary-3 | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87974 | 5/8/1954 | Whistling cow blues-4 | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87975 | 5/8/1954 | Big town boogie-5 | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 87976 | 5/8/1954 | South Rampart Street parade | Billy Butterfield Jazz Band ; Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88176 | 6/15/1955 | Sweet Georgia Brown | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88177 | 6/15/1955 | Basin Street blues | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88330 | 7/7/1955 | Smokehouse blues | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88331 | 7/7/1955 | The pearls | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88332 | 7/7/1955 | Grandpa's spells | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88333 | 7/7/1955 | Mister Jelly Lord | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88341 | 7/8/1955 | Chimes blues | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88342 | 7/8/1955 | Keyhole blues | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums | |||
Decca | 88343 | 7/8/1955 | Doctor Jazz | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Cliff Leeman
Discogs: Cliff Leeman
Allmusic: Cliff Leeman
Grove: Cliff Leeman
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Leeman, Cliff - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93016679
Wikidata: Cliff Leeman - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3148835
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/76500680
MusicBrainz: Cliff Leeman - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/123ff3f6-e6f4-48e6-b88f-e82bc466697a
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