When I began to document and share information about potential historic and monetary value of Joe Brazil's tape collection, a member of Frances Brazil's family, Tana Yasu Montgomery, accused me of taking this collection from Frances. I never saw Joe's collection in Frances' home. I first saw it in Virginia Brazil's home. The collection is so large that it fills many boxes and is not quick or trivial to move. It remains in Virginia's possession and she has granted me permission to access it and share Joe's story. Parties interested in purchasing or licensing items in the collection work directly with Virginia. I am happy to make introductions.
I have never taken anything that belonged to Joe and have no need to steal or move any of his possessions without permission of their owner. Asserting that I should return things to the ex-wife Frances that belong to the widow Virginia is like asking someone to take John Coltrane's things from his widow Alice Coltrane and give them to his ex-wife Juanita Naima Coltrane.
Tana has harassed me in person and online and made baseless accusations that I have stolen property, "absconded" with Joe's tape collection, have "a White Supremacist/Racist attitude," and am a "usurper," among other statements of libel and slander in private and public forums. This defamation against my reputation is unfounded in fact and I do not know why I am being called out for things that did not happen.
I met with Frances Brazil on March 3, 2012. I had found her phone number from a city directory in the Seattle Municipal Archives. I knew so little about Joe, I wondered if she was his sister. Over the phone she told me that she was Joe's wife and in person told me the story of the first time she met Joe. Later, I found a marriage certificate between Joseph Brazil and Frances Basselle in King County records dated March 24, 1963 at 7:30pm. She had been born Frankie M. Aikens in 1930 in Detroit to Frank and Mattie Aikens of Alabama, the second of seven children. She had married William C. Basselle April 5, 1947 in Detroit and had three children.
She was very warm and generous with Joe's story, showing me photographs and a small tin box full of 8mm home movies, but she did not show me any audio tapes that I had heard rumors existed. She gave me verbal permission to copy the photos and digitize a film marked "Alice Coltrane UW 1972." I returned all the material days later. When I viewed the digitized 8mm film, it had no sound and was out of focus.
At the time I believed that she was Joe's only living beneficiary and envisioned working with her as she wished. She indicated that there were more of Joe's things in a bench under her television, but that she did not want to move it at the time. I left her house with the impression that there were tapes in her possession and that she appreciated my interest in Joe. I began to apply for grants that might fund preservation and digitizing the potential collection.
About a year later, August of 2013 to be exact, I met Virginia Brazil, who had lived with Joe since the 1980's, when he left Frances because of her infidelity. King County Property Tax records show that Frances Brazil acquired title to the house at 1516 29th Avenue from Joe by Quit Claim Deed on February 14, 1985 in a settlement. Joe took all his possessions but left a baby grand piano that he brought from Detroit. Joe filed for divorce from Frances, but for some reason the paperwork was never completed. A small claims suit in King County dated November 11, 1989 that Frances brought against a roof contractor, Winston Newton, identifies Frances as an unmarried person.
Virginia Carter purchased a home in Tacoma to live with Joe. She had first met Joe when she worked as a Social Worker for prisoners and Joe developed a work release program for prisoners to attend the Black Academy of Music. When Joe had a heart attack on his August 25, 2001 birthday, Virginia took him to the hospital. Joe did not want Frances to visit him in the hospital. Joe finalized his divorce from Frances on September 24, 2002 in Lincoln County. Joe married Virginia on February 14, 2003, Valentine's Day, in Pierce County. Virginia added Joe to the Tacoma house deed on September 13, 2004. Joe died in the living room of that home on August 6, 2008. Virginia assumed Joe's rights and obligations when he passed in 2008. In addition to inheriting all of his papers, records, recordings, equipment, and musical instruments, she also inherited his debts. Virginia was the person who organized his home going celebration.
I have no legal claim to any of Joe's physical and intellectual property. Joe's second wife has granted me access to this property but all ownership remains with her.
Virginia invited me to visit in August 2013. She showed me photographs, papers, musical instruments, and a large collection of audio and video tapes that Joe had made. Because of the huge amount of material and immense effort needed to process it, I turned all my attention away from Frances to Virginia. I updated this blog, deleting the reference of working with Frances, because I had never seen an audio tape collection in her possession.
Virginia sent Tana a certified letter in June of 2015 stating that the tapes belonged to her as Joe's widow and that she had given me permission to access them. That truth was ignored by Tana, instead claiming that I had fabricated the persona of Virginia. Even now, Tana refuses to communicate with Virginia.
Here is a copy of the content of that certified letter:
I read your Blog and want to clarify some of the issues you raised as you have been misinformed.
First of all, no one has gone into your Aunt's home and 'ripped her off.' The tapes Steve Griggs referred to in his presentation did NOT come out of Francis's home. They came from Joe's collection. When he moved from Seattle he took his tapes and the things he wanted with him; later divorced Francis and remarried. He established a new home and family and a new life. We were together over 25 years. After he died his current family made copies of his professional photos and shared them with Francis for her family. All of his property now, is legally owned by me; his widow.
When we heard about Steve writing the book, we made contact, gave him copies of photos and information for the book. So, the name calling is unwarranted. We believe Joe's story needs to be told.
You also inferred the African American Community was being 'ripped off.' Where were these concerned people when the CAMP/Central Area Motivation Program closed; the base of operations for BAM/Black Academy of Music? They threw out all of his teaching materials, posters, music and tapes etc. It just happened that a janitor from the Church saw his things, he was able to salvage some of it. Joe was deeply hurt by this disregard for the work he had been doing. You talk about being Joe's family. When he got sick and was bed ridden the last year and half; why didn't you or others make contact, try to visit him while he was alive, or even call to see how he was doing? Francis knew how to reach him if anyone had asked. Even though he never had any children; and there are no blood lines between you; he would have welcomed and no doubt enjoyed contact. Various friends and his current family was with him; however there was no contact from his previous family. So how can you say you are losing your family legacy? If you knew him at all you had to be very young and are only going on what you have heard. His legacy is his own; no one else did this work but him.
Your assessment is very transparent. Now that some think there may be profits in his tapes and his story; people want to get on the bandwagon. Anyone that really knew Joe, knows that all of the tapes he recorded was made with idea and hope that they would one day be shared with other music students coming up. That was his goal, but got sick before he could finish and had very little support in the process.
Joe was all about education and sharing and bringing all people; without prejudice, together through music; the Universal Language. Your controversial assessment only serves to discredit and disrespect his legacy. He was truly unique in his thinking and his teachings. He was never really given the honor and recognition he deserved in life. His story will be told.
Mrs. V. Brazil
First of all, no one has gone into your Aunt's home and 'ripped her off.' The tapes Steve Griggs referred to in his presentation did NOT come out of Francis's home. They came from Joe's collection. When he moved from Seattle he took his tapes and the things he wanted with him; later divorced Francis and remarried. He established a new home and family and a new life. We were together over 25 years. After he died his current family made copies of his professional photos and shared them with Francis for her family. All of his property now, is legally owned by me; his widow.
When we heard about Steve writing the book, we made contact, gave him copies of photos and information for the book. So, the name calling is unwarranted. We believe Joe's story needs to be told.
You also inferred the African American Community was being 'ripped off.' Where were these concerned people when the CAMP/Central Area Motivation Program closed; the base of operations for BAM/Black Academy of Music? They threw out all of his teaching materials, posters, music and tapes etc. It just happened that a janitor from the Church saw his things, he was able to salvage some of it. Joe was deeply hurt by this disregard for the work he had been doing. You talk about being Joe's family. When he got sick and was bed ridden the last year and half; why didn't you or others make contact, try to visit him while he was alive, or even call to see how he was doing? Francis knew how to reach him if anyone had asked. Even though he never had any children; and there are no blood lines between you; he would have welcomed and no doubt enjoyed contact. Various friends and his current family was with him; however there was no contact from his previous family. So how can you say you are losing your family legacy? If you knew him at all you had to be very young and are only going on what you have heard. His legacy is his own; no one else did this work but him.
Your assessment is very transparent. Now that some think there may be profits in his tapes and his story; people want to get on the bandwagon. Anyone that really knew Joe, knows that all of the tapes he recorded was made with idea and hope that they would one day be shared with other music students coming up. That was his goal, but got sick before he could finish and had very little support in the process.
Joe was all about education and sharing and bringing all people; without prejudice, together through music; the Universal Language. Your controversial assessment only serves to discredit and disrespect his legacy. He was truly unique in his thinking and his teachings. He was never really given the honor and recognition he deserved in life. His story will be told.
Mrs. V. Brazil
Tana's harassment began on-line, moved to communication with institutions that fund my work, then to public statements at Black Lives Matter events, and to physical confrontation with increasingly inflammatory claims. Specifically, her inciting statements "we must take any and all actions," "pursue this pariah full time," "go after this guy," and accusations of killing, stealing, and destroying gives me concern when I perform in public venues.
When Tana stood in front of my band in a public park during my performance of "Cup of Joe Brazil," funded by the Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture and the Parks Department, and called everyone in the band "thieves," I decided to file for a Petition for Order for Protection from Harassment in King County Court. I provided nine pages of documented harassment beginning in 2014. My process server could never locate her to have her appear in court. After several weeks of unproductive visits to court, I decided to stop investing time in the Petition.
In Orson Scott Card's The Tales of Alvin Maker, Alvin Miller (a maker) takes on his life mission of defeating his nemesis, the Unmaker.
I, like Alvin, am a maker. I don't need to take things from others. When I am influenced by others, I credit them for my inspiration. My program, A Cup of Joe Brazil, are my own words and my own compositions from my research and my own curiosity. I am telling the story of a person from whom I am learning. When I use other people's words, I attribute the quote to the source. When I play other people's music, I cite the composer. When I publish recordings of other people's music, I pay mechanical fees to the holders of the copyright.
This holds true for all the music and writing I have published, including my recordings with Elvin Jones and programs about WWII Japanese American incarceration, homicide of John T. Williams by Seattle Police, broken treaty promises to the Duwamish tribe, and musical settings of poetry by sculptor James Washington.
I encourage people to be makers. I will not let an Unmaker stop me from making.
"All any man can hope to do is to add his fragment to the whole. No man can be final, but he can record his progress, and whatever he records is so much done in the thrashing out of the whole thing. What he leaves is so much for others to use as stones to step on or stones to avoid." - Robert Henri in The Art Spirit
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