Biography
Emerging as one of the standout trombonists of the 1950s, Jimmy Cleveland fell into relative obscurity after relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s. He first took up the trombone at age sixteen, securing his initial notable engagement with Lionel Hampton from 1950 to 1953. Once Hampton’s European tour concluded in 1953, Cleveland established himself as a prolific freelance player across New York, participating in countless studio dates alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Oliver Nelson, Oscar Pettiford, Lucky Thompson, James Moody, and Gerry Mulligan. He accompanied Quincy Jones on a European tour spanning 1959–1960 and joined Thelonious Monk’s octet in 1967, yet otherwise remained in New York until he moved to the West Coast to perform with The Merv Griffin Show’s band while maintaining his recording association with Quincy Jones. Jimmy Cleveland endures as one of the most technically accomplished bop-rooted trombonists and continues to surface occasionally in Los Angeles clubs.