Robert “Bob” Rann, renowned tubaist and a foundational figure in the traditional jazz revival movement, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2025, at the age of 88. A gifted musician, tireless performer, and joyful presence onstage and off, Rann’s career spanned more than six decades, touching audiences around the world.
Born in 1936, Bob’s journey in jazz began during his college years at Purdue University, where he joined the Original Salty Dogs Jazz Band. Formed in the mid-1950s, the band quickly gained a reputation as one of the premier collegiate traditional jazz ensembles in the country. Bob’s tuba work provided the band’s booming heartbeat, and he played alongside respected names like Frank Chace, Jim Snyder, Jack Lord, Birch Smith, and Dick Karner.
In 1956, Bob was invited to join the iconic Turk Murphy Jazz Band in San Francisco. Performing with Murphy—a central figure in the West Coast Dixieland revival—placed Bob among the genre’s elite. He shared the stage with jazz greats such as Bob Helm, Don Ewell, Dick Lammi, and Don Kinch, performing in some of the city’s most storied venues and helping carry on the New Orleans tradition through the post-war years.
Perhaps Bob’s longest and most beloved musical role was with the South Frisco Jazz Band, which he joined in 1966. Over the next five decades, Bob became the rhythmic foundation of the ensemble, performing weekly at the famed Pizza Palace in Huntington Beach and appearing on more than a dozen albums. His tuba lines underpinned fan-favorite recordings like Hot Tamale Man, Jones Law Blues (featuring Bob Helm), Broken Promises, and Got Everything. South Frisco also appeared on video in Live from the Crazy Horse Saloon, further documenting the band’s onstage energy and Bob’s driving tuba.
With South Frisco, Bob performed at major traditional jazz festivals across the United States—from Sacramento to Seaside, Del Mar to Spokane—and took part in world tours that included performances in Europe and Japan, as well as a memorable nine-day jazz cruise from Seattle to Acapulco in 1995. Whether on stage at a world-class venue or jamming in a pizza parlor, Bob brought boundless heart and impeccable swing to every performance.
Known for his humor as much as his musicianship, Bob once stole the show—literally—during a live TV appearance on the Howard Miller Show in Chicago. A wardrobe malfunction during rehearsal (and his quick-witted excuse: “some woman took my pants and didn’t bring them back”) had the audience in stitches, and became part of family lore.
In honor of Bob Rann, jazz fans everywhere are encouraged to turn up a favorite South Frisco record, raise a glass, and remember the man who kept the beat swinging for generations.
Discography & Selected Media
1955 – Salty Dogs 1955 – Salty Dogs
1955 – Live! Hunt Club 1955 – The Salty Dogs Jazz Band w/Darnell Howard
1968 – Hot Tamale Man – South Frisco Jazz Band
1968 – South Frisco Jazz Band Featuring Cornettist Ray Ronnei – South Frisco Jazz Band
1981 – Captured – South Frisco Jazz Band
1982 – These Cats are Diggin’ Us! – South Frisco Jazz Band
1982 – Live from Earthquake McGoon’s – South Frisco Jazz Band
1983 – Live from the Crazy Horse Saloon (video) – South Frisco Jazz Band
1985 – Jones Law Blues (featuring Bob Helm) – South Frisco Jazz Band
1987 – In Search of “The Famous Grouse” – South Frisco Jazz Band
1988 – Broken Promises – South Frisco Jazz Band
1992 – Got Everything, Don’t Want Anything but You – South Frisco Jazz Band
1996 – Big Bear Stomp – South Frisco Jazz Band
1999 – Emperor Norton’s Hunch – South Frisco Jazz Band
2005 – Shake That Thing! Hot Trad Jazz 1955 – Salty Dogs
2024 – San Francisco Jazz – South Frisco Jazz Band
