Yank Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Rhea Lawson |
| Born | May 3, 1911 Trenton, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 1995 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Genres | Jazz, dixieland, swing |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1930s–1990s |
| Labels | Atlantic, Audiophile, Decca, Jazzology |
| Formerly of | Ben Pollack, Bob Crosby, Bob Haggart, World's Greatest Jazz Band |
John Rhea "Yank" Lawson (May 3, 1911 – February 18, 1995)[1] was an American jazz trumpeter known for Dixieland and swing music.
Born John Lausen in 1911,[2] from 1933 to 1935 he worked in Ben Pollack's orchestra and after that became a founding member of the Bob Crosby Orchestra.[3] He later worked with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, but also worked with Crosby again in 1941–42.[3] Later in the 1940s he became a studio musician leading his own Dixieland sessions.[3]
In the 1950s he and Bob Haggart created the Lawson-Haggart band and they worked together in 1968 to form the World's Greatest Jazz Band, a Dixieland group which performed for the next ten years.[3]