Joe Brazil

Joseph "Joe" Brazil ( * August 25, 1927; † 6 August 2008) was an American jazz musician ( saxophone, flute) and music teacher.

Life and work

Joe Brazil worked after his military service in the late 1950s the main job in the Detroit Ford plants and played part-time as a jazz musician with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Hugh Lawson, Roy Brooks and Joe Henderson, whose first recordings in 1958 originated in Brazil's residence. The basement of Brazils Ranch Conant Garden on the northern outskirts was young jazz musicians a popular meeting place for rehearsals and jam sessions; John Coltrane should be first met his future wife, Alice here. To work as a toolmaker at Boeing, drew Brazil in the early 1960s to Seattle. In 1961, he appeared there with the flugelhorn player Ed Kelley. In September 1965, he played with John Coltrane at his concerts in the city. As a flutist and percussionist he participated in Coltrane's Om studio album on October 1, 1965.

In 1969 he founded in an old fire station in Seattle, the Black Academy of Music, in which children from socially disadvantaged groups music instruction was given. To Brazils students at the Black Academy of Music was Gary Hammon; earlier he had been taught Rufus Reid. As early as 1968 he began to teach jazz history at the University of Washington, although he was self-taught as a musician and had no academic background.

Brazil, which was previously technical employee Physics Department of the University in was set to pressure the students as an Assistant Professor. However, he was rejected by a faculty committee in 1974; the public was not allowed at the meeting. 250 students went on strike for his return, but this was unsuccessful.

In 1970 he participated in Jemeel Moondocs Album The Teachers; In 1975 he played with Roy Ayers ( Mystic Voyage ). Brazil has in the TV movie The Secret Life of John Chapman (1976, directed by David Lowell Rich) made ​​an appearance.

Brazil is buried at the Tahoma National Cemetery.