About Gerald Cleaver
Born 1963. Gerald Cleaver is an American jazz musician, drummer, musician and bandleader.
Gerald Cleaver (born May 4, 1963 ) is a jazz drummer from Detroit, Michigan.
Early life Cleaver's father is drummer John Cleaver Jr., originally from Springfield, Ohio, and his mother was from Greenwood, Mississippi. Positive Elevation Records Solo electronic album 2023* 22/23 Positive Elevation Records Solo electronic album 2024* The Process Positive Elevation Records Solo electronic album
As sideman With Lotte Anker Triptych (Leo, 2005) Live at the Loft (ILK, 2009) Floating Islands (ILK, 2009)
With Samuel Blaser 7th Heaven (Between the Lines, 2008) Boundless (Hatology, 2011) with Marc Ducret As the Sea (Hatology, 2012) with Marc Ducret Spring Rain (Whirlwind, 2015)
With Ellery Eskelin Trio Willisau Live (HatOLOGY 2016) Trio New York II (Prime source 2013) Trio New York (Prime source 2011)
With Chris Lightcap Lay-up (Fresh Sound, 2000) Bigmouth(Fresh Sound, 2003) Deluxe (Clean Feed, 2010) Epicenter (Clean Feed, 2015) SuperBigmouth (Pyroclastic, 2019)
With Roscoe Mitchell The Day and the Night (Dizim, 1997) Nine to Get Ready (ECM, 1999) Song for My Sister (Pi, 2002)
With Joe Morris Underthru (OmniTone, 1999) At the Old Office (Knitting Factory, 2000) Altitude (AUM Fidelity, 2012) Balance (Clean Feed, 2014)
With Ivo Perelman Family Ties (Leo, 2012) with Joe Morris The Living Jelly (Leo, 2012) with Joe Morris The Foreign Legion (Leo, 2012) with Matthew Shipp Enigma (Leo, 2013) with Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey Serendipity (Leo, 2013) with Matthew Shipp and William Parker The Art of The Improv Trio Volume 1 (Leo, 2016) with Karl Berger The Art of The Improv Trio Volume 3 (Leo, 2016) with Matthew Shipp The Art of The Improv Trio Volume 4 (Leo, 2016) with William Parker The Art of The Improv Trio Volume 5 (Leo, 2016) with Joe Morris The Art of The Improv Trio Volume 6 (Leo, 2016) with Joe Morris Breaking Point (Leo, 2016) with Mat Maneri and Joe Morris Octagon (Leo, 2017) with Brandon Lopez and Nate Wooley
With Matthew Shipp Pastoral Composure (Thirsty Ear, 2000) New Orbit (Thirsty Ear, 2001) The Blue Series Continuum β Sorcerer Sessions (Thirsty Ear, 2003) Equilibrium (Thirsty Ear, 2003) Harmony and Abyss (Thirsty Ear, 2004) Our Lady of the Flowers (RogueArt, 2015)
With Miroslav Vitous Universal Syncopations II (ECM, 2007) Remembering Weather Report (ECM, 2009) Music of Weather Report (ECM, 2016)
With others Joshua Abrams' Cloud Script, Cloud Script (Rogueart, 2020) Andrew Bishop, Time & Imaginary Time (Envoi, 2006) Rob Brown, Crown Trunk Root Funk (AUM Fidelity, 2008) Rob Brown, Unexplained Phenomena (Marge, 2011) Taylor Ho Bynum, Book of Three (RogueArt, 2010) Taylor Ho Bynum, Book of Three β Continuum (Relative Pitch, 2013) Benoit Delbecq, Spots on Stripes (Clean Feed, 2018) Yelena Eckemoff, In the Shadow of a Cloud (L&H, 2017) Liberty Ellman, Ophiuchus Butterfly (Pi, 2006) Michael Formanek, The Rub and Spare Change (ECM, 2010) with Tim Berne & Craig Taborn Michael Formanek, Small Places (ECM, 2012) with Tim Berne & Craig Taborn Charles Gayle, Precious Soul (FMP, 2001) Charles Gayle, Shout! (Clean Feed, 2005) Daniel Guggenheim, Traces of... (Laika, 2005) Frank London, Hazonos (Tzadik, 2005) Mat Maneri, Blue Decco (Thirsty Ear, 2000) Mat Maneri, Sustain (Thirsty Ear, 2002) with Joe McPhee Jemeel Moondoc, Live at the Vision Festival (Ayler, 2003) Angelika Niescier, New York Trio (Intakt, 2019) Fredrik Nordstrom, Gentle Fire, Restless Dreams (Moserobie, 2016) Eivind Opsvik, Overseas (Fresh Sound, 2002) William Parker, Double Sunrise Over Neptune (AUM Fidelity, 2007) William Parker, Uncle Joe's Spirit House (Centering, 2010) Mario Pavone, Orange (Playscape, 2003) Mario Pavone, Ancestors (Playscape, 2008) Jeremy Pelt, November (MAXJAZZ, 2008) Jeremy Pelt, Men of Honor (HighNote, 2010) Jeremy Pelt, The Talented Mr. Pelt (HighNote, 2011) Jeremy Pelt, Soul (HighNote, 2012) Eric Revis, Crowded Solitudes (Clean Feed, 2016) Samo Salamon, Government Cheese (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006) Samo Salamon, Stretching Out (Samo Records, 2012) Wadada Leo Smith, Lake Biwa (Tzadik, 2004) Tomasz Stanko, Wislawa (ECM, 2013) Tomasz Stanko, December Avenue (ECM, 2017) Steve Swell, Soul Travelers (Roguert, 2016) Adam Rogers and Dave Binney, R&B (Criss Cross, 2015) Craig Taborn, Light Made Lighter (Thirsty Ear, 2001) Craig Taborn, Chants (ECM, 2013) Gebhard Ullmann, Hat and Shoes (Between the Lines, 2015) Rodney Whitaker, Hidden Kingdom (DIW, 1997)
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Important facts
People in Gerald Cleaver's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gerald Cleaver's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Gerald Cleaver?
American musician
When was Gerald Cleaver born?
Gerald Cleaver was born on 4 May 1963 in Detroit.
What is Gerald Cleaver's occupation?
Gerald Cleaver is a jazz musician, drummer, musician and bandleader.
What nationality is Gerald Cleaver?
Gerald Cleaver is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gerald Cleaver. https://biography.guide/gerald-cleaver/
MLA: "Gerald Cleaver." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gerald-cleaver/.
Chicago: "Gerald Cleaver." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gerald-cleaver/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.
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