Now, a Jazz Moment...

MUSIC: "Blues-ette" CD: Blues-ette Savoy Jazz SVY 17186 (cut 3)

NEA Jazz Master Curtis Fuller has traveled the world as an ambassador for jazz, bringing people closer through music.   He remembers one highly unusual trip through europe with a russian circus, where the power of music surprised everyone.

Curtis Fuller: I used to hear this statement of "music soothing the savage beast." Billy Taylor took an ensemble to Europe and we played with the Russian Circus in tents. Circus and the jazz band! <laughs> But our tents were set up close to these animals and the guys used to laugh because when I practiced the trombone, the lions, a whole pride of 'em, <laughs> would sound like the Anvil Chorus and go, "Whooooo!" <laughs> and I said, "There must be something to that music." <laughs> And the guys just, they were laughing but I was really thinking to myself, "Boy, that's profound." (:50)

MUSIC: up for punctuation

This Jazz Moment with trombonist Curtis Fuller   was created by The National Endowment for the Arts.