Alvin Alcorn

Alvin Alcorn (September 7, 1912 – July 10, 2003) was an American New Orleans jazz trumpeter. Alcorn was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He learned music from his brother, though not much is known about his youth. He played freelance in New Orleans in the late 1920s and early 1930s; he appears with Armand J. Piron's Sunny South Syncopators in 1930-31. He toured with Don Albert from 1932–37, but this ensemble only did one recording date and Alcorn does not solo on it. He returned to New Orleans in 1937, playing in the groups of Paul Barbarin, Sidney Desvigne, Oscar Celestin (1951), and Octave Crosby. He then moved to Los Angeles in 1954, where he played with Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band between 1954-56. Returning once again to New Orleans, he played regularly in local ensembles, and occasionally accompanied bands such as Chris Barber's on tours of Europe. He was a member of Louis Cottrell, Jr.'s Heritage Hall Jazz Band. Alcorn performed with the Olympia Brass Band on the soundtrack to the James Bond film Live and Let Die, and has a bit part as a killer in the film. Alcorn recorded steadily after his dates with Ory, but many of them were released on small-issue labels with poor sound quality. Furthermore, Alcorn's abilities faded as he aged, and so he is primarily remembered for his time as a soloist with Ory.