In a world where the trombone is mostly considered just a back round instrument, Alan Kaplan stands out. Growing up in Los Angeles he began playing at the age of eight. He tried to prepare for a "real" job, majoring in engineering at L.A. Valley College but by the age of nineteen he was on the road with Buddy Rich. He was the youngest trombonist ever to play lead with that band. The next few years found him playing with big band legends such as Harry James, Louis Bellson, Don Ellis and Lionel Hampton. By the late 70's he was being compared to trombone greats like Carl Fontana and Frank Rosolino.

Recent years have found Kaplan settled back in his hometown. His skills honed by the road, he now enjoys his position as one of the top studio trombone players in Los Angels. His recording credits vary vastly from Marvin Gaye to Johnny Mathis to Madonna to Placido Domingo to Sara Vaughn to Oingo Boingo to Whitney Houston to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and countless more.
Kaplan's TV credits include such shows as Hawaii 5-0, Dynasty, Voyager, Star Trek, Home Front, Buddy Faro and hundreds of others.
He has been a featured trombone soloist on more than 600 cartoons such as Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Tazmania, Pinky and the brain, 101 Dalmations, Timon and Pumba and many others. He is currently working on Nightmare Ned, Histeria, Sylvester and Tweety, Casper and Toonsylvania. He was a regular member of the staff bands on theMerv Griffin, Joan Rivers and Star Search Shows.
In 1994 Kaplan performed and recorded with Barbara Streisand on her concert tour.
His movie credits are perhaps most impressive of all, a list of some 500 plus films including "Animal House", "Airplane", Dances With Wolves, "Out of Africa" , "Sleepless in Seattle", "Beauty and the Beast", "Hercules", "Apollo 13", "The Lion King", "Con-Air", "Batman and Robin", "Silverado", "Godzilla", "Zorro", and "Armageddon" to name just a few.
He was recently one of the principals in a Wind player Magazine article featuring LA's elite studio trombone players.
 Alan Kaplan has been an Artist-Clinician with United Musical instrument since 1975

( King and Conn - trombones see "Instruments they play")

He can be contacted for concerts and clinics