NOW, A JAZZ MOMENT...

MUSIC: Just Squeeze Me

Delfeayo Marsalis:  The trombone kind of suits my personality and when the band teacher came around with all the instruments, there was something about it that attracted me to it.  And I realized later that the trombone is the peacekeeper in the band. 

NEA JAZZ MASTER DELFEAYO MARSALIS IS A NOTED TROMBONIST AND PRODUCER...

Delfeayo Marsalis:  Yeah, in the New Orleans band the trumpet plays the lead.  The saxophone's job, or the clarinet, is to make the trumpet sound good.  The trombone's job is to make both the saxophone and the trumpet sound good, and it's also the bridge between the rhythm section ? the drums and the tuba ? and the horns.  So, the trombone player has to be very flexible.  So, that kind of suited the way that I function in our family.

DELFEAYO IS THE FOURTH SON IN THE MARSALIS FAMILY ? A GROUP OF HIGHLY TALENTED -- AND OPINIONATED -- PEOPLE.  YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW FLEXIBILITY MIGHT COME IN HANDY...

Delfeayo Marsalis:  And, you know, that's helped with my production work, because the hard part about being a producer ? for example, I can't produce for Branford the same way that I produce for Wynton, or the way that I produce for my Dad.  So, the producer has to be flexible enough to understand what each artist needs.

MUSIC: up for punctuation, then fades under and out

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH TROMBONIST AND PRODUCER DELFEAYO MARSALIS WAS CREATED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.  I'M CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE.