Phil Norris

An accomplished professional player who started himself in 1967 in his school band program, Phil came up playing in band all thru his scholastic career, which included the “Big Brown Music Machine” at Cal State Long Beach., the Long Beach Junior Concert Band and the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum & Bugle corps which he joined as a lead soprano in the fall of 1977. He studied trumpet with several teachers but stayed for 24 years with Bob Valle. Bob, an accomplished player/soloist and former 12 year veteran Claude Gordon student, taught him all about how the trumpet embouchure really worked and all about the “physical approach” to playing. This pedagogy Phil brings to the Kingsmen hornline as an instructor. Phil also was a soloist in the 2007 Kingsmen Alumni Corps and instructed the soprano/trumpet line as the soprano tech. 

As a professional player, Phil is in demand with many bands in the LA, OC and IE area and plays various California venues from Palm Springs to San Diego to San Francisco, not to mention out of state events in New York, Chicago, Reno and Las Vegas. He’s backed acts as the Drifters, Coasters, Freda Payne, Ink Spots, the Platters, the Shirelles, the Temptations, David Foster and John Tesh. He’s also played principal trumpet for many pit orchestra gigs for musicals such as “Annie”, “No No Nannette”, “Anything Goes”, and “Chicago”. He is currently a performer and soloist with Zoot Suit Revue, Platinum Groove, and “Colour My World” a tribute to Chicago. Phil was also a herald/fanfare trumpeter in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Opening Ceremonies.