# Cliff Leeman

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**Cliff Leeman** (September 10, 1913 – April 26, 1986)[1] was an American [jazz](/source/Jazz) drummer. His nickname was "Mr. Time".

Leeman, born in [Portland, Maine](/source/Portland,_Maine), United States,[1] played percussion with the [Portland Symphony Orchestra](/source/Portland_Symphony_Orchestra) at age 13, and toured as a [xylophonist](/source/Xylophone) on the [vaudeville](/source/Vaudeville) circuit late in the 1920s. He first made his name in the jazz world working in the [swing](/source/Swing_jazz) bands of [Artie Shaw](/source/Artie_Shaw) (1938–39), [Glenn Miller](/source/Glenn_Miller) (1939), [Tommy Dorsey](/source/Tommy_Dorsey) (1939), [Charlie Barnet](/source/Charlie_Barnet) (1940–43), [Johnny Long](/source/Johnny_Long_(musician)), and [Woody Herman](/source/Woody_Herman) (1943–44).[1] After a stint in the [Army](/source/United_States_Army) in 1944, he worked with [Don Byas](/source/Don_Byas), [John Kirby](/source/John_Kirby_(musician)) (1944–45), [Raymond Scott](/source/Raymond_Scott), [Jimmy Dorsey](/source/Jimmy_Dorsey), and [Ben Webster](/source/Ben_Webster).[1]

He left the music industry briefly before joining the [Casa Loma Orchestra](/source/Casa_Loma_Orchestra) in 1947, later moving on to [Charlie Barnet](/source/Charlie_Barnet)'s orchestra (1949)[1] and [Bob Chester](/source/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](/source/Eddie_Condon) and [Bobby Hackett](/source/Bobby_Hackett).[1] Later associations include [Pee Wee Erwin](/source/Pee_Wee_Erwin), [Yank Lawson](/source/Yank_Lawson)/[Bob Haggart](/source/Bob_Haggart), [Ralph Sutton](/source/Ralph_Sutton), [Billy Butterfield](/source/Billy_Butterfield), [Bob Crosby](/source/Bob_Crosby) (1960), [Wild Bill Davison](/source/Wild_Bill_Davison) (1962), [Dukes of Dixieland](/source/Dukes_of_Dixieland) (1963–64), [Peanuts Hucko](/source/Peanuts_Hucko), [Joe Venuti](/source/Joe_Venuti), [The Kings of Jazz](/source/The_Kings_of_Jazz) (1974), [Bud Freeman](/source/Bud_Freeman), [Don Ewell](/source/Don_Ewell), the [World's Greatest Jazz Band](/source/World's_Greatest_Jazz_Band) (1976–77), and [Jimmy McPartland](/source/Jimmy_McPartland). He recorded several albums for [Fat Cat Jazz](/source/Fat_Cat_Jazz) in the 1970s.

His drumming can also be heard on some of the early recorded hits of [Bill Haley & His Comets](/source/Bill_Haley_%26_His_Comets).

## References

**Footnotes**

1. [Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer)) (ed.) (1992). *[The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)*. First ed. [Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing). p. 1454. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.

**General references**

- [Scott Yanow](/source/Scott_Yanow), [ Cliff Leeman] at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)

## External links

- [Cliff Leeman recordings](https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106790) at the [Discography of American Historical Recordings](/source/Discography_of_American_Historical_Recordings).

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