In the late '40s, when he left university to become a professional jazz
musician, Jimmy Cleveland joined Lionel Hampton's orchestra, with whom he
collaborated for several years. After this formative experience, he went on to
do a number of recording sessions with a variety of bands, including Oscar
Pettiford, Lucky Thompson, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson and Quincy Jones. At
the end of the '50s, he joined a band led by Gil Evans, with Steve Lacy and Lee
Konitz. He settled in California in the 60s, where he performed in various
groups representative of the West Coast style. But he...