Alan isn't playing a recorder (8)
I believe the answer is:
annalist
'a recorder' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'alan isn't playing' is the wordplay.
'playing' indicates an anagram.
'alan'+'isnt'='alanisnt'
'alanisnt' with letters rearranged gives 'ANNALIST'.
(Other definitions for annalist that I've seen before include "Person creating records" , "recorder" , "she makes record" , "Chronicler" , "Historian" .)