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  
(Results 276-300 of 373 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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