Idrees Sulieman

Idrees Sulieman, born Leonard Graham, was an American bop and hard bop trumpeter.

Biography

Graham was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, later changing his name to Idrees Sulieman, after converting to Islam. He studied at the Boston Conservatory, and gained early experience playing with the Carolina Cotton Pickers and the wartime Earl Hines Orchestra.
On October 15, 1947, he played on Thelonious Monk's first recording for Blue Note Records. Sulieman was closely associated with Mary Lou Williams and for a time and had stints with Cab Calloway, John Coltrane, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. Sulieman recorded with Coleman Hawkins and gigged with Randy Weston, in addition to appearing in many other situations.
He toured Europe in 1961 with pianist Oscar Dennard, and stayed, settling in Stockholm at first, and then moved to Copenhagen in 1964. A soloist with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band from the mid-1960s through 1973, Sulieman frequently worked with radio orchestras. His recordings as a leader were for Swedish Columbia and SteepleChase. In 1985, he was among the performers on Miles Davis' album, Aura, which was not released until 1989. Sulieman's career slowed down considerably in the 1990s.

He died of bladder cancer on July 23, 2002, at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 78.

Three Trumpets – with Donald Byrd and Art FarmerInterplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors – with John Coltrane, Bobby Jaspar, Webster Young et al.

With Gene Ammons

With Teddy CharlesCoolin' – with John Jenkins and Mal WaldronVibe-Rant
With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

With Friedrich Gulda

With the Prestige Blues-SwingersOutskirts of Town Stasch – with Coleman Hawkins
With Mal Waldron

With Randy Weston

With others