ONE of the tenets of British jazz lore is that the contribution made by Scottish musicians has always been, for whatever sociological reasons, far greater in proportion to population than could reasonably be expected. One who took his talent to London and America to match the finest was the trumpet player John Donnelly, who died in Paisley last week at the age of 59.

Born in the Renfrewshire village of Neilston in 1938, into a family steeped in brass music tradition (both his father and grandfather were cornet and trumpet players, as is his son, David), John quickly showed a remarkable aptitude for the trumpet and by his teens had outgrown brass band music to ''sit-in'' with dance bands in the Paisley area. A measure of his commitment to music was his decision to forego a promising career as a professional footballer although he had by this time been signed on a junior form by Celtic.

Having completed his apprenticeship as an electrician, John was drafted into the army to do his National Service which he completed in Germany with the Royal Artillery Band in Dortmund.

In the early sixties he played in several bands in the Glasgow area, including Benny Daniels's and Johnny Kildare's as well as a stint in the pit band in the Alhambra under the aegis of the famous Geraldo who informed John that he was the youngest lead trumpet he had ever employed.

After this came the almost inevitable move to London,

by this time with the Ray

McVey Orchestra. It was at this point that his career really took off and for the next few years he was in great demand as lead trumpet in shows like West Side Story, Billy Liar, Jesus Christ Superstar, and in backing bands to stars including Jack Jones, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Anita Harris, George Harrison (including the memorable My Sweet Lord session) Cilla Black, Marti Caine, and many more.

In between these engagements he managed to keep up his big band work, playing with such as Ken Mackintosh, Chico Arnez, and others of that ilk, until he was offered the lead trumpet chair in the big band formed in 1970 by the world-famous trumpet virtuoso, the Canadian Maynard Ferguson. This entailed constant exposure on television on the very popular Simon Dee Show, repeated engagements at the famous Ronnie Scott's jazz club, some world tours, and many trips to the US where he made friends with leading jazz musicians like Jon Faddis and Chuck Findlay. On one occasion when he was

''sitting in'' with the Woody Herman band, the famous bandleader was so impressed he offered John a permanent job, as did Buddy Rich on another occasion.

Despite these successes he remained very much a family man and, when his three children were of school age, he moved back to Paisley around 1975. Initially there was plenty of work for a musician of his stature at venues like the Talk of the Town and BBC Scotland where he frequently played with the Radio Big Band. As the work for real musicians was fast disappearing he decided in 1978 to enter the world of education as an instructor of brass instruments first of all in Lanarkshire, and later in Glasgow where his patience, enthusiasm, and industry were such that he was held in the highest esteem until his retiral last year for health reasons.

John Donnelly's musical talents were awesome. He had a remarkable ear and had that rare ability to arrange music without the need of a piano. Unfortunately we have all too few of his compositions but

the sheer quality of these

prove him a musician of the highest calibre.

His best-known original work, The Argyle Suite, can stand comparison with the writing of the very best jazz composers.

Because of his eminence as a lead trumpet, he was often not regarded as a top jazz soloist. This is quite wrong. John was at times a superb jazz improviser with a ready flow of melodic ideas articulated clearly through that exquisite tone. Even towards the end, when his strength was failing, he still managed to make us all gasp at his control over complicated harmonic structures.

Nevertheless, it is as a lead trumpet he will be remembered. While the ability to sight-read the most complicated and physically demanding parts, complete control over the whole range of the instrument, a full, rounded tone, tireless lips, lungs, and diaphragm that Pavarotti would kill for, endurance, and stamina are all required, John had that little bit extra of the authentic lead trump, that one other ingredient, that bit of ''devil''.