Joe Brazil was a saxophonist and jazz educator born in Detroit on August 25, 1927. The basement of his home became the venue for legendary jam sessions that included musicians like Donald Byrd, Joe Henderson, Barry Harris and it is said that Alice Coltrane met her future husband John Coltrane at one of those sessions.

Brazil moved to Seattle in 1961 to work for Boeing Aircraft and began gigging around the city shortly after his arrival. In 1965 he played with John Coltrane at The Penthouse and recorded with him while he was in town, as well. The session resulted in the album “Om” released the year after Coltrane’s death. Brazil also appears on records by James Moody and Roy Ayers.

In 1967 he founded the Black Academy of Music (BAM) in Seattle and began teaching aspiring jazz musicians along with colleagues including trumpeter Floyd Standifer and saxophone player Jabo Ward. The Academy offered instruments, teachers and equipment so that anyone who was interested in studying music could do so. Workshops were held there that featured Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Archie Shepp, McCoy Tyner and others.

After teaching at Garfield High School in Seattle for a year Brazil became the first Black music professor at the University of Washington School of Music in 1969. He laid the groundwork for the school’s jazz program which was all but non-existent up until then. In 1976 the University denied Brazil tenure causing a good deal of backlash among students. His jazz history course was very popular on campus. But, the university stood by their decision and Brazil left the school.

Joe Brazil passed away in 2008.
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Here is a link to a tape of one of those legendary jam sessions in his basement featuring Brazil on alto saxophone and Coltrane on tenor:

"SWEET GEORGIA BROWN"