Jimmy Cleveland

[brownie]

What a beautiful player Jimmy Cleveland was! I was listening to the Gil Evans

And Ten album on Prestige the other day. His contribution to 'If You Could See

Me Now' is a gem. I wanted to hear more and was stunned to find that this

remarkable musician had only recorded four albums under his name, all for the

Mercury/Emarcy label in the late '50s. Only one, the first one 'Introducing Jimmy

Cleveland' has been issued on CD. This is a superb date (three sessions with an

impressive lineup: Ernie Royal, Lucky Thompson, Cecil Payne, Paul Chambers,

Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, etc.).

Dig the pianists: Hank Jones, John Williams, Wade Legge!

I have two other albums 'A map of Cleveland' and 'Cleveland Style', all extremely

well arranged (by Ernie Wilkins, Benny Golson).

'Map of Cleveland' has Jimmy Cleveland front the ensemble with Art Farmer. It's an

eight piece band and with the tuba playing of Don Butterfield it really sounds like

a big band. Bassist Bill Crow (who is uncredited) is also featured.

Anyway I searched the Tom Lord discography to find any recent Cleveland albums.

There were none.

BUT one unreleased session was listed. Here it is:

Lee Morgan (tp) Jimmy Cleveland (tb) Hank Mobley (ts) Tommy Flanagan (p)

Paul Chambers (b) Elvin Jones (d).

The tunes are listed as:

- Bit of Heaven

- Down Home

- I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone

- Bongo Bop

- When Lights Are Low

- C.T.

The discography states the date was recorded in New York in early 1959. No label

is mentioned. Anybody knows about this date? This would make a great issue and

might put the Cleveland name back on the map.

[Jim R]

That line-up of tunes looked so familiar, I opened up my database and did a search. The session you describe was not a Jimmy Cleveland session, and not unreleased- it was Curtis Fuller's "Sliding Easy" (UA 4041). That's an odd error for Mr. Lord!

BTW, I'm with you 1000% regarding Jimmy Cleveland! Thank God he was all over the place as a sideman...

Edited April 20, 2003 by Jim R

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Gigi Gryce and Benny Golson arranged an album for Cleveland called "Rhythm Crazy" (EmArcy) in February 1959. Cleveland still has the arrangements and said he has used them with groups in the past.

The next month (March 9), Gryce also contributed to the Curtis Fuller album that is mistakenly listed. He arranged CTA by Jimmy Heath and Down Home by Fuller. The Fuller is part of the Mosaic set. I think a Cleveland Mosaic would be ideal.

Mike

[jlhoots]

I have Cleveland Style on CD.

Issued in Japan in mini-LP format.

UCCM-9117

Excellent music.

[Morganized]

brownie,

I am really glad you started this thread. I have recently read about Jimmy Cleveland and have wondered about his style and output. I will continue to read the future posts with great interest. What has already been said makes me want to seek him out. Was a lot of his work with larger groups? How would you describe his playing?

I look forward to the opinions of the OBB members.

Thanks

Edited April 20, 2003 by Morganized

[Jim R]

Here's a selected discog, just for the heck of it:

Cannonball Adderley 1955-07-21,29; 08-05 Julian "Cannonball" Adderley Emarcy

Cannonball Adderley 1956-06-08,18 Julian "Cannonball" Adderley In The Land Of Hi Fi Emarcy

Clifford Brown 1953-09-28,29 The Complete Paris Sessions, Vol.1 Vogue

Clifford Brown 1953-10-10,11,15 The Complete Paris Sessions, Vol.3 Vogue

Jimmy Cleveland 1955-08-12; 11-19,22 Introducing Jimmy Cleveland And His All Stars Verve (Emarcy) Elite

Jimmy Cleveland 1958 Cleveland Style Mercury (Japan CD)

Jimmy Cleveland 1959 A Map Of Jimmy Cleveland Mercury

Jimmy Cleveland 1965 Rhythm Crazy Emarcy

John Coltrane 1957-10,11,12 The Bethlehem Years Bethlehem

Tadd Dameron 1962 The Magic Touch Of Tadd Dameron Riverside

Eddie Davis 1966, 1967 Save Your Love For Me (Compilation) RCA Victor

Gil Evans 1957-09-06,27; 10-10 Gil Evans & Ten Prestige

Gil Evans 1959-02-05 Great Jazz Standards Pacific Jazz (Cap.)

Art Farmer 1953,54,56 The Art Farmer Septet Prestige

Art Farmer 1962 Listen To Art Farmer Mercury

Dizzy Gillespie 1950-06-06 to 1964-11-06 Dizzy's Diamonds (The Best Of The Verve Years) Verve

Dizzy Gillespie 1954-05-25,06-08;1955-09-12,11-08 Jazz Recital Verve

Benny Golson 1957-10-14 Benny Golson's New York Scene Contemporary

Johnny Griffin 1961-07-13,14,17 White Gardenia Riverside

Billie Holiday 1945 thru 1959 The Complete Billie Holiday On Verve, 1945-1959 Verve

Milt Jackson 1962-06-19,20;07-05 Big Bags Riverside

Eddie Jefferson 1953-55,61-2,68-9 Reiss.1980 There I Go Again Prestige

Eddie Jefferson 1961-12;1962-01,02 Letter From Home Riverside

J. J. Johnson Jay & Kai + 6 Columbia

J. J. Johnson 1964, 1966 Say When Bluebird (RCA)

J. J. Johnson 1965-12-07,08,09 J.J.! (The Dynamic Sound Of J.J. With Big Band) RCA (BMG Spain)

Thad Jones / Mel Lewis 1966-05-04 to 1970-05-25 The Complete Solid State Recordings Of Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Mosaic (Solid State)

Michel Legrand 1958-06-25,27 Legrand Jazz Philips (Columbia)

Carmen McRae 1955-06-14,16;1959-11-10,11,12 Here To Stay (By Special Request / Something To Swing About)(The Original Decca Recordings) Decca, Kapp

Blue Mitchell 1960-12-27;1961-03-29,30 Smooth As The Wind Riverside

Thelonious Monk 1967-11-03 Nonet Live (In Paris, 1967) Le Jazz

Wes Montgomery 1964-11-11,16 Movin' Wes Verve

Anita O'Day 1952 to 1962 The Complete Verve/Clef Recordings Mosaic (Verve/Clef)

Jerome Richardson 1958-10-10 Midnight Oil New Jazz

Sonny Rollins 1958-07-10,11;08-03 Sonny Rollins And The Big Brass (Brass/Trio) Verve (Metrojazz) VME

Sonny Rollins 1966-01-26 Alfie Impulse

Jimmy Smith / Wes Montgomery 1966-09-21 Further Adventures Of Jimmy And Wes Verve

Sonny Stitt 1952-11-20 to 1965-04-14 The Complete Roost Sonny Stitt Studio Sessions Mosaic (Roost)

Sonny Stitt 1955-09-30,10-17 Plays Arrangements From The Pen Of Quincy Jones Roost (Japan)

Lucky Thompson / Gigi Gryce 1953, 1956 Lucky Thompson / Gigi Gryce In Paris (aka "Street Scenes") RCA (Vogue)

Lucky Thompson 1956 Tricotism Impulse

Stanley Turrentine 1963-1968 Stanley Turrentine (BN Reissue Series twofer LP) Blue Note

Stanley Turrentine 1968-10-01,14,28 Always Something There Blue Note

George Wallington 1954-05-12 George Wallington Showcase Blue Note Connoisseur Series

Dinah Washington 1955-03-15,16,17 For Those In Love Emarcy

[brownie]

Jim R. wrote:

That line-up of tunes looked so familiar, I opened up my database and did a

search. The session you describe was not a Jimmy Cleveland session, and not unreleased- it was Curtis Fuller's "Sliding Easy" (UA 4041). That's an odd error for Mr. Lord!

Thanks for catching that. Your database works better than mine.

Now my faith in the Lord discography is a bit diminished.

I will now give a hearing to 'Sliding Easy'. That was a great date!

And thanks for posting all those Cleveland sideman sessions.

However I do not see any sessions listed with Quincy Jones. Cleveland was

one of the featured players in that forgotten band.

[sidewinder]

Some fine work recorded with the Oscar pettiford Orchestra too (for example 'The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi Fi', put out by MCA, and Victor in Japan). One of the finest exponents of the trombone in jazz - and (along with Frank Rosolino) must definitely the bone exponent with the best tone ..

[sidewinder]

Also adding that fantastic tone to the 30th St Studio audio mix on quite a few of the Miles/Gil Columbia sessions too !

:rsmile: