Joe Brazil

[sgriggs2400]

I am researching the life and impact of saxophonist Joe Brazil. I plan to publish some initial work in the April 2012 issue of Earshot Jazz. I am speaking to his widow, students, and peers in Seattle. If you have any source information about Joe, please contact me off list at stephengriggs@aol.com or 206-523-4983.

[HolgerFreimutSchrick]

After Richard Cook, Brian Morton: The Penguin Guide To Jazz on CD. (8. edition) Penguin, London 2006, ISBN 0-14-051521-6. Joe Brazil was bassist and percussionist at Coltrane's Ascension-session.

[sgriggs2400]

I set up a website to collect and share information.

So far, I am in contact with Frances Brazil - Joe's widow, Gary Hammon - Joe's saxophone student and the first African American to get a scholarship to the New England Conservatory, Jeffrey Winston - Joe's teaching assistant at the University of Washington, and Ray Baldwin - Joe's band manager at the Black Academy of Music.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Steve Griggs

[B. Clugston]

After Richard Cook, Brian Morton: The Penguin Guide To Jazz on CD. (8. edition) Penguin, London 2006, ISBN 0-14-051521-6. Joe Brazil was bassist and percussionist at Coltrane's Ascension-session.

Brazil played flute on Om. He wasn't on Ascension.

[clifford_thornton]

Would be curious to read the results of your research; I know next to nothing about him.

[Niko]

Steve Griggs (see above) has posted a directory of the Joe Brazil Tape Collection on his Joe Brazil blog last year... one tape (not included in the list) was discussed in this previous thread ... would be nice if the rest became available and sounded better...

http://joebrazilproject.blogspot.de/2014/05/joe-brazil-audio-tapes-from-detroit.html

 

[sgriggs2400]

Much has happened since my original post. I learned that Frances and Joe were seperated in the late 70s and officially divorced in 2002. He married Virginia Carter in 2003. Virginia owns the collection of audio and video Joe made. I am slowly documenting the contents of the collection and helping Virginia find buyers. The audio and artistic quality of the collection is uneven. That said, there are some gems (Clifford Brown, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc.) that I am shepharding toward commercial release.