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 1-25 of 373 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | MS-07884 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | Born to swing | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-07885 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | Twilight in Turkey | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-07886 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | I'll never tell anyone I love you | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Dorothy Howe ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band, with vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-07887 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | Johnny One Note | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Dorothy Howe | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-07888 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | Someday sweetheart | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-07889 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Apr. 1937 | Bus blues | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-011303 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1937 | Whispers in the dark | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-011304 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1937 | 'Til the clock strikes three | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-011305 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1937 | The folks who live on the hill | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-011306 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1937 | If you should ever leave me | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Peg LaCentra | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-011307 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early July 1937 | Because I love you | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-015507 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Sept. 1937 | Strange loneliness | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Dolores O'Neill ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-015508 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Sept. 1937 | Rosalie | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-015509 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Sept. 1937 | Sweet Varsity Sue | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-015510 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Sept. 1937 | S.O.S. | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-015511 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Sept. 1937 | I'm yours | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-017807 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Dec. 1937 | Good night angel | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solos | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-017808 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Dec. 1937 | You're out of this world | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band, with vocal soloists | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-017809 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Dec. 1937 | Love for sale | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-017810 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Dec. 1937 | Monsoon | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-017811 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately late Dec. 1937 | Nightmare | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Tony Pastor | Jazz/dance band and male vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-019825 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early Feb. 1938 | Toy trumpet | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-019826 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early Feb. 1938 | Power house | Artie Shaw Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-019827 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early Feb. 1938 | Old apple tree | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | MS-019828 | 16-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | approximately early Feb. 1938 | More than ever | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Nita Bradley | Jazz/dance band and female vocal soloist | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed September 3, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.
"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 3 September 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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