Joe Brazil Project: Career

Showing posts with label Career. Show all posts

Black Spokane

Dwayne Mack wrote about the black community in Spokane and the impact of soldiers at Geiger Air Field where Joe Brazil served.

Bluebird Music Alumni

I found Joe listed as a Bluebird Music Alumni in the second Bluebird Reunion booklet.

Joe at the Bluebird Reunion

I found a picture of Joe in the Bluebird Reunion booklet from 1995. In the picture is drummer Bert Myrick who often played with Joe in the 1950s.

Yesterday I listened to a 1967 tape of Stokely Carmichael addressing a full gymnasium of supporters at Garfield High School in Seattle. The transcript can be found at http://www.aavw.org/special_features/speeches_speech_carmichael01.html. The tape is part of the Joe Brazil Collection. Stokely also spoke to 3,000 people at the University of Washington. Stokely talks about Beethoven being black. Joe said the same thing a few years later at Whitman College.

Thad Jones and Joe Brazil

A tape in the Joe Brazil collection labeled "Thad Jones at the West End" contains an announcer saying, "How about a hand for Thad. Thank you, Freddie Froo. Freddie Froo on the drums, Joe Brazil on the alto, Ernie Farrow on the bass and Abe Woodley on the piano."

According to an article at http://www.telegram.com/article/20121119/NEWS/121119571, Freddie Froo was a nickname for Detroit drummer Fred Metcalf. Baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams wrote a song for him.

Abe Woodley also worked in a band called the Jazztet with Joe Brazil.

According to Before Motown, the West End Hotel was a popular Detroit location for weekend after hours jam sessions in the late 1950s.

Thanks to the owner of the Joe Brazil tape collection for allowing me access to this rich trove of historical information.

From the Detroit Musicians Union

Joe Brazil first joined the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5, on August 17, 1955. There must have been a few time lapses, because there is an additional application dated December 23, 1959, and a reinstatement memo dated March 1, 1961. He was expelled on March 31, 1964. He listed his instruments as alto and tenor saxophone, and piano (although I believe he also played flute on occasion). He was also a tool maker (he stated it was a union job, but didn't state which union).

Joe Brazil with the Joe Gauff Sextet

Seattle Musicians's pin on Pinterest.

Joe and the Seattle Musicians Union

When the Seattle Musicians Local was organizing old files, they came across one for Joe Brazil and contacted me because they found this blog. In the file are contracts from the 70s and several disputes over permission for the Black Academy of Music Community Orchestra to perform for free with some union members. I found a letter from the Detroit Local #5 transferring Joe's membership to Seattle in 1962. More to come...

Black Academy of Music Workshops

The Black Academy of Music presented many workshops with name musicians:

1972 McCoy Tyner, Eddie Harris, Archie Shepp, Herbie Hancock
04/09/74 Donald Byrd
06/15/74 Gary Bartz
06/21/74 Stanley Turrentine
07/22/74 Stanley Turrentine
07/27/74 Cannonball Adderley
08/24/74 Elvin Jones
10/12/74 Dizzy Gillespie

Black Academy of Music Funding

My research turned up a list of grant funding in support of the Black Academy of Music:

1973 Seattle Arts Commission?

1973 Pacific Northwest Bell $500
1973 SMCP $22,000
1974 SMCP $44,000
1975 NEA $12,500
1975 Seattle Arts Commission $2,500
1976 NEA $17,500 (Instruction), $4,000 (Jazz)
1976 Block Grant $25,000 over 2 years
1977 NEA $17,500
1980 NEA $17,500 (Brazil Academy)

Eddie Harris endorses Brazil

Sept. 4, 1972

Dear Black Academy of Music,

Wardo Enterprises, the manufacturers of music Books and Musical Supplies and Instruments are in full support of the Black Academy of Music in Seattle Washington and do think it would help The Academy a great deal if more professional Black Musicians would take an interest in this Academy as this would truly give inspiration to the future Black Musicians of tommorrow. I am proud to say that this Academy has a very Promising future ahead of itself due to the fact that it is under the leardership of a Brilliant President, Mr. Joe Brazil who is a fine person and excellent musician.

Yours sincerely,
Eddie Harris
Wardo Enterprises

Photo with Freddie Hubbard

From Seattle Municipal Archives

At the Checkmate with Rufus Reid

Photo from the Seattle Times 10/5/67. Joe Brazil - saxophone, Lee Anderson - piano, Rufus Reid - bass, Bobby Tuttle - drums. The Checkmate was located at 1431 23rd Avenue.

Black Student Union Demands Hiring Brazil

Marc Robinson's article on the Black Student Union for the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project mentions Joe's role in the struggle at the University of Washington. Click here to read the article.

Joe mentioned in Down Beat

July 11, 1968 p. 43

"A $25,000 program for teaching jazz, rock and folk music in the Seattle ghetto has been set up by the Seattle Public Schools for this summmer. Bassist Chuck Metcalf is coordinator and has hired teachers ranging from 18-year-old John Hatfield, leader of the Blues Feedback, to 40-year-old tenor saxist Joe Brazil."

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