Gerald Cleaver (musician)

Early life

Cleaver's father is drummer John Cleaver Jr., originally from Springfield, Ohio, and his mother was from Greenwood, Mississippi. Gerald had six older siblings.

Career

Cleaver joined the jazz faculty at the University of Michigan in 1995. He has performed or recorded with Joe Morris, Mat Maneri, Roscoe Mitchell, Miroslav Vitouš, Michael Formanek, Tomasz Stańko, Franck Amsallem and others.

Under the name Veil of Names, Cleaver released an album called Adjust on the Fresh Sounds New Talent label in 2001. It featured Maneri, Ben Monder, Andrew Bishop, Craig Taborn and Reid Anderson and was a Best Debut Recording Nominee by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Cleaver currently leads the groups Uncle June, Black Host, Violet Hour and NiMbNl as well as working as a sideman with many different artists.

Discography

An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As sideman

With Lotte Anker

With Samuel Blaser

With Rob Brown

With Liberty Ellman

With Michael Formanek

With Roscoe Mitchell

With Jemeel Moondoc

With Joe Morris

With William Parker

With Mario Pavone

With Samo Salamon

With Matthew Shipp

With Wadada Leo Smith

With Craig Taborn

With Miroslav Vitous

With Tomasz Stanko

With Ivo Perelman