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 326-350 of 373 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 89757 4/13/1956 Ostrich walk Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89758 4/13/1956 Livery stable blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89759 4/13/1956 At the jazz band ball Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89760 4/13/1956 Original Dixieland one-step Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89806 4/24/1956 Bluin' the blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89807 4/24/1956 Lazy Daddy Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89808 4/24/1956 Mournin' blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89809 4/24/1956 Skeleton jangle Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89924 5/8/1956 Reisenweber rag Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89925 5/8/1956 Satanic blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89926 5/8/1956 Lasses candy Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89927 5/8/1956 Sudan Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101341 1/11/1957 Clarinet ramble Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101342 1/11/1957 Lazy Honolulu moon Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101343 1/11/1957 Real gone Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101344 1/11/1957 Dixieland rock Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101345 1/14/1957 Sweetheart of Sigma Chi Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101346 1/14/1957 Trumpet on the wing Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101347 1/14/1957 Baby, change your mind Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101348 1/14/1957 Two beat special Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101349 1/14/1957 Burlecue Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101350 1/14/1957 Biloxi Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101351 1/15/1957 Can't get you off my mind Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101352 1/15/1957 Just plain struttin' Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 101363 1/14/1957 Party doll Wingy Manone and his Band instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 326-350 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

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.