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 201-225 of 373 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 82859 5/13/1952 Busybody Roberta Lee instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82860 5/13/1952 Saturday rag Roberta Lee instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82931 6/10/1952 Part 1: Our director (Harvard) ; Down the field (Yale) ; As the backs go tearing by (Dartmouth) ; Cannon song (Princeton) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82932 6/10/1952 Part 2: Washington and Lee swing ; Rambling wreck from Georgia Tech ; On, brave old Army team (West Point) ; Anchors aweigh (Annapolis) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82933 6/11/1952 Part 3: On, Wisconsin ; Go U Northwestern ; Notre Dame Victory march ; The Victors (Michigan) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82934 6/11/1952 Part 4: Illinois loyalty song (Univ. of Illinois) ; Iowa corn song (Univ. of Iowa) ; Hail Purdue ; Minnesota rouser (Univ. of Minnesota) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82935 6/11/1952 Part 7: Fight song ; (Michigan State) ; Indiana, our Indiana (Indiana University) ; Across the field (Ohio State) ; Fight for California (Univ. of California) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82982 6/23/1952 Part 5: Fight for L.S.U.! (Louisiana State Univ.) ; Yea Alabama! (Univ. of Alabama) ; Men of State (Mississippi State College) ; Roll on, Tulane Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82983 6/23/1952 Part 6: Peruna (Southern Methodist Univ.) ; Aggie war hymn (Texas A & M) ; Horned frogs we are all for you (Texas Christian) ; The eyes of Texas are upon you (Univ. of Texas) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 82984 6/23/1952 Part 8: Fight on (Univ. of (Southern California) ; De.28327, 9-28327 ; By the Old Pacific (UCLA) ; Come join the band (Leland Stanford) Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83494 10/15/1952 Davenport blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83495 10/15/1952 Riverboat shuffle Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83496 10/15/1952 Basin Street blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83497 10/15/1952 St. Louis blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83546 10/16/1952 Beale Street blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83547 10/16/1952 Memphis blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83599 11/3/1952 It made you happy Connie Boswell instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83600 11/3/1952 Singin' the blues Connie Boswell instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83638 11/13/1952 Way down yonder in New Orleans Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83639 11/13/1952 Gulf Coast blues Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83789 1/8/1953 Two car garage Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83790 1/8/1953 While we danced at the Mardi Gras Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83801 1/9/1953 Twelfth Street rag Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83802 1/9/1953 Tiger rag Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 83803 1/9/1953 Maple leaf rag Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 201-225 of 373 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Leeman, Cliff," accessed May 10, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

Leeman, Cliff. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 10, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790.

"Leeman, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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