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 251-275 of 373 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 84739 6/22/1953 Long gone Ray McKinley Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85371 10/13/1953 I'm coming Virginia-1 Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85372 10/13/1953 Mississippi mud-1 Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85373 10/13/1953 Crying for the Carolines Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85458 11/3/1953 Moon over Miami-1 Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85459 11/3/1953 Alabamy bound-1 Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85460 11/3/1953 Georgia on my mind Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85524 11/19/1953 Louisiana Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85525 11/19/1953 Tennessee waltz-1 Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85849 2/10/1954 Oh baby Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85850 2/10/1954 Dardanella Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85851 2/10/1954 Up jumped you with love Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85852 2/10/1954 Sweet and lovely Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85890 2/23/1954 Heebie jeebies Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 85891 2/23/1954 Skit-dat-de-dat Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86029 6/16/1954 Melancholy blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86030 3/16/1954 Potato head blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86031 3/16/1954 Cornet shop suey Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86070 3/23/1954 King of the Zulus Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86071 3/23/1954 Gully low blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86072 3/23/1954 Wild man blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86401 6/8/1954 Ain'tcha got music No.4 ; Ain'tcha got music No.3 ; Ain'tcha got music No.2 ; Ain'tcha got music Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86402 6/8/1954 Checkin' with Chuck Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86403 6/8/1954 Should I? Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 86404 6/8/1954 Cross my heart No.2 ; Cross my heart ; Cross my heart No.3 Ralph Sutton Quartet instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 251-275 of 373 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790

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