Gerald Cleaver

Drummer Gerald Cleaver was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and is a product of the rich music tradition found there and also in his home. Inspired by his father, John Cleaver, also a drummer, he began playing the drums at an early age. He also played violin in elementary school and switched to trumpet during junior high and high school. While in his teens, he gained early working experience with Detroit jazz masters Ali Muhammad Jackson, Lamont Hamilton, Earl Van Riper, and Pancho Hagood, the latter three of which may be heard, along with Gerald on, A Night of Song, a compilation of live performances from the 1982 Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival.

While attending the University of Michigan, as a music education major, Gerald was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Study Grant, to study with drummer Victor Lewis. He graduated in 1992 and began teaching in Detroit....

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Gerald Cleaver Albums

3 records