* En anglais uniquement
An exciting Dixieland trumpeter with an appealing tone and strong melodic ideas,
Yank Lawson was a popular attraction on the Dixieland scene for decades. He was with
Ben Pollack's band during 1933-1935 and when it broke up, he was one of the many sidemen who became founding members of
the Bob Crosby Orchestra.
Lawson was featured on many records, both with the big band and
Bob Crosby's Bobcats, during 1935-1938. He was with
Tommy Dorsey during 1938-1939 and had plenty of solo space with
Dorsey's Clambake Seven. After a period back with
Crosby (1941-1942) and with
Benny Goodman (1942),
Lawson became a studio musician and started leading his own Dixieland sessions. He recorded extensively with
Bob Haggart in the
Lawson-Haggart band during the 1950s, had reunions with
Crosby, played the musical part of
King Oliver on
Louis Armstrong's A Musical Autobiography, and had sessions with
Eddie Condon, playing at
Condon's club regularly during 1964-1966. In 1968, he and
Haggart put together
the World's Greatest Jazz Band, an all-star Dixieland group that was together for ten years. He continued playing with
Haggart and other top Dixieland players at festivals and jazz parties up until his death at age 83.
Yank Lawson recorded as a leader through the years for
Bob Thiele's various labels (including Signature), Decca, Everest, ABC-Paramount, Project 3, Atlantic, World Jazz Records, Audiophile, and Jazzology. ~ Scott Yanow