- [Narrator] Bessie, Olive, Sally, and Jess
- [Narrator] Bessie, Olive, Sally, and Jess

have one big thing in common.
have one big thing in common.

(cow mooing)
(cow mooing)

They all love jazz.
They all love jazz.

(lively jazz music) (cow mooing)
(lively jazz music) (cow mooing)

This is Live Oak, Florida,
This is Live Oak, Florida,

a small town west of Jacksonville,
a small town west of Jacksonville,

not the type of place you associate with jazz,
not the type of place you associate with jazz,

and yet, there's Ed.
and yet, there's Ed.

- [Ed] I'm a dairy farmer here in north Florida,
- [Ed] I'm a dairy farmer here in north Florida,

home to about 6,800 cows.
home to about 6,800 cows.

- [Narrator] That Ed, he can really blow.
- [Narrator] That Ed, he can really blow.

He's been playing trombone since elementary school,
He's been playing trombone since elementary school,

but his audience has changed.
but his audience has changed.

This is his story.
This is his story.

- The first time I can remember the cows coming up
- The first time I can remember the cows coming up

is I was just standing out in the backyard
is I was just standing out in the backyard

and playing a trombone, and all the cows
and playing a trombone, and all the cows

came up to the fence.
came up to the fence.

I had a full audience.
I had a full audience.

(Ed laughs)
(Ed laughs)

They're not particularly critical either.
They're not particularly critical either.

Cows are very much creatures of habit.
Cows are very much creatures of habit.

The music is something that's out of the norm
The music is something that's out of the norm

and that's why they're entertained.
and that's why they're entertained.

The cows have an ability to understand
The cows have an ability to understand

what's threatening and what's pleasing,
what's threatening and what's pleasing,

and music is definitely pleasing to 'em.
and music is definitely pleasing to 'em.

I have no idea if it's the one heifer heard the music
I have no idea if it's the one heifer heard the music

and the rest of 'em are following the other heifer,
and the rest of 'em are following the other heifer,

but it really doesn't matter.
but it really doesn't matter.

At the end of the day, we're all having a good time.
At the end of the day, we're all having a good time.

(trombone music) (cow mooing)
(trombone music) (cow mooing)

My dad told me when we were kids, he said,
My dad told me when we were kids, he said,

"It's important from day one how we take care of animals."
"It's important from day one how we take care of animals."

And we like to consider ourselves good stewards
And we like to consider ourselves good stewards

of the land and good stewards of the animals,
of the land and good stewards of the animals,

and playing the trombone is not any different
and playing the trombone is not any different

than going out and how we feed our cows,
than going out and how we feed our cows,

and we take care of our cows, it's all about our interaction
and we take care of our cows, it's all about our interaction

with these animals.
with these animals.

Our animals, they care, and so you play music to 'em,
Our animals, they care, and so you play music to 'em,

they'll remember that.
they'll remember that.

(chiming note)
(chiming note)