David Mason played the piccolo trumpet solo on "Penny Lane.

Yes, that’s the guy. He was a session trumpeter for the London Symphony Orchestra.

Paul McCartney heard Mason playing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 on TV and thought, “That’s the sound.” So he asked Mason to come to Abbey Road and record a high-register piccolo trumpet part. Mason had to transpose the piece McCartney hummed into proper notation on the spot.

The result is one of the most recognizable brass moments in pop music. Mason got a modest session fee and a bit of rock history on his résumé. Not bad for a Tuesday.