Alan Parr

Throughout a long and distinguished career, Alan Parr has been praised for both the art and the craft of trumpet playing.  During High School, Alan gained valuable credibility after auditioning for and being named principle trumpet with the McDonald’s All-American Band. In his first year of college, he auditioned and won a position as jazz soloist with the Walt Disney World All-American Collegiate Jazz Ensemble. While attending California State University, Los Angeles, a school noted for its ties to the movie and studio music industry, Alan quickly established himself as a busy freelance orchestral trumpeter performing regularly with the San Fernando Valley and Mission Viejo Symphony Orchestras.

Los Angeles was bustling with opportunities to develop a career in music, and Parr performed at key venues with many significant players and organizations in the business. He has performed with the Golden State Brass and the California Brass Company. His studio experience includes recording with the Talking Heads,  Alan Yankee’s tributes to Stan Kenton and national advertising commercials for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Subaru, Sony, Domino’s Pizza, Pillsbury, Amoco Transmissions and the 1988 Olympics Fanfare.

Other studio recordings include movie soundtracks for “Air Force One”, “Man Against the Mob”, “City of Angels” and the television series “Moonlighting.” As part of his commercial music activities his experience includes performing on national television for the Jerry Lewis Telethon and the Artist Music Guild’s Awards, performances with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, national tours with the show “In The Mood Live”, and appearances with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Capp Pierce and the Juggernaut Big Band, the Ashley Alexander Alumni Big Band, the Temptations, Four Tops, Platters, Miracles, Gladys Knight and The O’Jays. As a side man, Alan also worked with national talents including Doc Severinsen, Rosemary Clooney, Dick Van Dyke, Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, Paul Anka, BJ Thomas, Marvin Hamlish, Toni Tennille, Dianne Schuur, Chubby Checker, Terri Gibbs, Gloria Gaynor, Bobby Vinton, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Monica Mancini, Bill Holman, Arturo Sandoval, Slide Hampton, Cecil McBee, Kevin Eubanks, Mulgrew Miller, Maria Schneider, Les Hooper, Bob Curnow, Conrad Herwig, Don Braden, Terell Stafford, Carl Allen, Mila Mason, Gary Moris and Lari White.

In 1990, Alan was invited to join, tour and record with the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West.  While serving in California, Alan had the opportunity to perform for five presidents and numerous military and civilian officials including the distinguished opening of President Reagan’s library.  In the final year of his first enlistment, Airman Parr was offered a position with the Band of the United States Air Forces in Europe where he performed with and led their historical Army Air Corps Glenn Miller Orchestra as Musical Director and Jazz Soloist. During his European travels, Airmen Parr participated in the production of several recordings and has performed for sold out crowds in venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. In addition to his normal responsibilities with the United States Air Force Bands, Airmen Parr was also sent as a musical ambassador to perform for the Queen of England where he was a guest soloist with the British Royal Air Force Band in London and to Russia where he performed as a guest soloist at the Moscow Jazz Festival with the Russian Red Army Band. While stationed in Europe, Parr also performed with the Kaiserslautern Symphony Orchestra, the Heidelberg Trumpet Ensemble, the Saarbruchen Symphony Orchestra, the Luxembourg Radio Jazz Orchestra, and the Cologne Big Band.

After serving four years in Europe, Alan, his wife Kathleen and their two Germany-born sons, Michael and Sean Parr received orders to return to U.S. soil where they were stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. With over ten years service, Alan separated from the United States Air Force with Awards and Decorations including two Air Force Outstanding Achievement Medals, the Air Force Achievement Medal for Meritorious Service, and several Air Force Good Conduct Medals.

As a military bugler, Alan had the distinct honor to render TAPS for others who have worn the uniform before him and in many cases given their own lives to help provide the very freedom we enjoy today. Among these honors include the D-Day 50th Anniversary services in Europe as seen on the television documentary and President Nixon’s California services. Alan is proud to wear the uniform and continues to serve his country by performing as a guest with the Indiana Army National Guard Band’s Jazz Ensembles, Brass Quintet and Concert Band.  As a specialist, he also continues to offer his talents as a bugler by often volunteering for military funeral and memorial services honoring veterans.

Mr. Parr currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife and four children. He continues to make a living as a freelance player, writer, clinician and private instructor both locally and abroad. He can be seen often performing with his own jazz band “Creole Candy”, the O’Jays, Summit City Brass, Cincinnati’s Jack Garrett and The Syndicate, The U.S. Brass Quartet, The Alicia Pyle Quartet, Sean Christian and “The Bebop Experience”, The Kim Kelly Orchestra, Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra in Columbus, OH, Cloud 9 Orchestra, and Steel City Sound in Birmingham.