Daily Dose Of Jazz…

William C. Rank was born in Lafayette, Indiana, on June 8, 1904 and initially worked in Indiana and Florida. In 1922, He played trombone in Tade’s Singing Orchestra, which was led by violinist Tade Dolen. Between 1923 and 1927 he played with Jean Goldkette’s band in Detroit, Michigan and often recorded with Bix Beiderbecke.

After playing with Adrian Rollini in 1927 he had a period working freelance, then he joined Paul Whiteman’s band, and stayed until 1938. Rank became a studio musician in Hollywood into the early 1940s, when he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio It was while living here that he led a tenet for the rest of the 1940s.

After changing his musical lifestyle to performing part-time, he worked in the insurance industry. His one album as a leader, a tribute to Beiderbecke, was recorded in 1973.

Trombonist Bill Rank continued playing until a short time before his death, on May 20, 1979, in Cincinnati.