Idrees Sulieman

Idrees Sulieman (b. Leonard Graham, August 7, 1923, in St. Petersburg, Florida; d. July 23, 2002 in St. Petersburg, Florida) was a trumpet and alto saxophone player who gained some notoriety for being the first trumpet player to ever work with Thelonious Monk in 1947 (1). He played with a number of notable jazz musicians, including John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins, before moving to Scandinavia at the height of his modest fame within the jazz community; a move some believe prevented him from ever becoming a household name (2). He remained active within the jazz community despite the move and was a member of numerous musical projects in both Sweden and Denmark in addition to leading several quartets of his own. He returned to his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1982, and his musical output dropped off sharply in the 1990s as age and disease began to take its toll. He died in 2002.