Vaughn Nark devoted almost 20 years to playing trumpet for the Airmen of Note, the distinguished jazz band of the U.S. Air Force. During his time with the ensemble from the early '70s until 1993, when he retired, he held the positions of jazz trumpeter and lead trumpeter. His outstanding service and musicianship was acknowledged with the Meritorious Service Medal, which was conferred by order of the President. A fine example of Nark's trumpet playing can be heard on the Airmen of Note CD Flying High. Nark, who also plays the trombone and flügelhorn, played for the Olympics when the games were held in Atlanta, and at the premiere performance of the Jazz Masterworks Orchestra at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Leon Nark, the trumpeter's father, was the first to give his son musical instruction when the budding musician was just six years old. Within a year, Nark was enjoying the sounds of Doc Severinsen, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. After high school, the Pennsylvania native headed to Washington, D.C., where an audition resulted in his joining the United States Air Force Band, and later the Airmen of Note. Although retired from the jazz ensemble, he is still active on the music scene. He established a quintet that performs throughout the D.C. region, and he also performs at numerous festivals and other venues both in the U.S. and overseas. In addition, Nark is an instructor at Maryland's Landon School. The long list of artists he has appeared with includes Wynton Marsalis, Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandoval, Louis Bellson, Tony Bennett, Henry Mancini, Stanley Turrentine, Lena Horne, Severinsen, and Gillespie. ~ Linda Seida, Rovi