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 26-50 of 373 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | MS-019829 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early Feb. 1938 | Blue fantasy | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024079 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | Begin the beguine | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024080 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | Indian love call | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024081 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | Comin' on | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024082 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | Back Bay shuffle | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024083 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | Any old time | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-024084 | 10-in. | 7/24/1938 | I can't believe that you're in love with me | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-027229 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Nightmare (Theme song) | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-027230 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Non-stop flight | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-027231 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | Yesterdays | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-027232 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | What is this thing called love? | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-027233 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | You're a sweet little headache | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-027234 | 10-in. | 9/27/1938 | I have eyes | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028973 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Between a kiss and a sigh | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028974 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Thanks for ev'rything | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028975 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Deep in a dream | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028976 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Day after day | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Helen Forrest | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028977 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Softly, as in a morning sunrise | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-028978 | 10-in. | 11/17/1938 | Copenhagen | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038105 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | Running through my mind | Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038106 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | Let's disappear! | Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038107 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | Stop! It's wonderful | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038108 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | Hong Kong blues | Skeets Herfurt ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038109 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | Stomp it off | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
Victor | BS-038110 | 10-in. | 7/20/1939 | The song is you | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 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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