Jimmy Cleveland

James Milton Cleveland ( May 3, 1926 in Wartrace, Tennessee, USA, † August 23 2008 in Lynwood, California ) was an American jazz trombonist. He became known as a trombone player in the Big Band Lionel Hampton.

Life

Jimmy Cleveland was born in 1926 in Wartrace (Tennessee). At 16 he began playing trombone. In his youth he played primarily in a band, which was founded by his musical family members, as well as the Orchestra of the Tennessee State University. At 24, he became in 1950 a permanent member of the Big Band Lionel Hampton, where he played along until 1953. After that he played as a freelance musician in New York in countless bands, such as Gerry Mulligan, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Lucky Thompson, Miles Davis ( Porgy and Bess, 1958), Gil Evans, Oliver Nelson, Bill Berry and James Moody. In 1967 he was a member of Thelonious Monk Octet. The Quincy Jones Big Band, he toured 1959/60 in Europe. After Cleveland moved to Los Angeles, where he was a highly sought-after studio musician. In 1993 he has retired from the music business. Now and then he took another for his own pleasure at jazz clubs in Los Angeles.

Game style

Jimmy Cleveland was known for its velvety, airy tone and its incredible technical brilliance. He was strongly influenced by JJ Johnson.

Recordings under his own name

• Introducing Jimmy Cleveland and his All-Stars ( Mercury, 1955)
• Cleveland Style ( Mercury, 1957)
• A Map of Jimmy Cleveland ( Mercury, 1958)
• Rhythm Crazy ( Mercury, 1959)