Thomas Chapin

Thomas Chapin (March 9, 1957 – February 13, 1998) was an American composer and saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. His music spanned the full range of 20th century creative music, from his time as Lionel Hampton's bandleader to modern jazz and his own avant-garde explorations. He helped create the Knitting Factory scene in New York City in the early 80's and was the first artist signed to Knitting Factory Records. Though primarily an alto saxophonist, he also played sopranino, as well as soprano, tenor, baritone saxes and flute. Many of his recordings as a leader were in a trio with bassist Mario Pavone and drummer Michael Sarin. Chapin studied with Jackie McLean, Paul Jeffrey, Kenny Barron, and Lionel Hampton. He died of leukemia at age 40. He played at a benefit concert two weeks before his death.

Career Chapin was born on March 9, 1957, in Manchester, Connecticut. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he studied classical music and jazz. In the late 1970s, he attended the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, studying with saxophonist Jackie McLean. He played frequently in the Hartford and Amherst, Massachusetts areas until moving in 1980 to Brooklyn, New York with fellow musicians Dave Phillips and George Kormendi. He studied at Rutgers University with saxophonist Paul Jeffrey, pianist Kenny Barron, and guitarist Ted Dunbar. He graduated from Rutgers in 1980. From 1981 to 1986, he toured with Lionel Hampton as lead saxophonist and musical director. He performed with Chico Hamilton's band from 1988 to 1989.

In the late 1980s, he formed quartets, quintets, and a band and album devoted to Brazilian music, Spirits Rebellious (Alacra). He founded Machine Gun with guitarist Robert Musso and a trio with bassist Mario Pavone and drummers Steve Johns and later Michael Sarin. In 1994, the trio performed at Madarao Jazz Festival in Japan, where he also played with Betty Carter, and at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1995. He formed larger groups (Trio with Brass, Insomnia, Haywire, and Trio with Strings) and performed with Ray Drummond, Anthony Braxton, Tom Harrell, Sonny Sharrock, John Zorn, Walter Thompson, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, and Ned Rothenberg. He recorded over fifteen albums as a leader.

Chapin died of leukemia in 1998 at the age of 40.

Discography As leader and co-leader Musicians Album Label Date Format George Alford, Peter McEachern, Phil Buettner, Nick Makros, Lucian Williams, Mario Pavone, Emmett Spencer, Matt Emerzian The Bell of the Heart Alacra 1005 recorded and released 1981 LP Ronnie Mathews, Ray Drummond, John Betsch et al. Radius MuWorks 1005; US recorded 1984, released 1990 CD, LP, CS Machine Gun (Robert Musso/Thomas Chapin/John Lunar RIchey/Jair–Rohm Parker Wells/Bil Bryant) + Sonny Sharrock/Karl Berger Live at CBGB's Vol. 1 : June 2, 1987 MuWorks 37 CR; US released 2008 CD Francesca Vanasco, Saul Rubin, Thad Wheeler, Geoffrey Gordon Spirits Rebellious Alacra 1017; US recorded and released 1988 LP Motation (Mario Pavone, Michael Musillami, Thomas Chapin, Peter McEachern, George Sovak, Mike Duquette) Live at the Hillside Alacra 1014; US recorded 1988, released 1989 LP Machine Gun + Sonny Sharrock Machine Gun Muworks 1001; US recorded and released 1988 CD, LP, CS Machine Gun + Sonny Sharrock Live at the Gas Station: December 3, 1988 MuWorks 46 CR; US released 2008 CD Machine Gun + Sonny Sharrock Open Fire MuWorks 1003; US recorded and released 1989 CD, LP, CS Machine Gun Live from the Court Tavern: February 24, 1990 + December 8, 1990 MuWorks DR 03; US released 2008 DVD Thomas Chapin Trio with Mario Pavone, Steve Johns Third Force KnitWorks 103; US recorded 1900–1991, released 1991 CD Machine Gun Live From the Webo Art Space: September 22, 199 MuWorks DR 01; US) released 2008 DVD Thomas Chapin Trio with Mario Pavone/Steve Johns Anima KnitWorks 121 B; US recorded 1991, released 1992 CD, CS Thomas Chapin & Borah Bergman Inversions MuWorks 1009; US recorded and released 1992 CD, CS Machine Gun Pass the Ammo MuWorks 1011; US recorded and released 1992 CD, LP, CS William Hooker Crossing Points NoBusiness LP 30/31; Lithuania recorded 1992, released 2011 2–LP set William Hooker Crossing Points NoBusiness CD 28; Lithuania recorded 1992, released 2011 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin + Brass: Frank London, Curtis Fowlkes, Peter McEachern, Marcus Rojas, Al Bryant Insomnia KnitWorks 132; US recorded 1992, released 1993 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin Night Bird Song KnitWorks 240; US recorded 1992, released 1998 CD Ronnie Mathews, Ray Drummond, Steve Johns I've Got Your Number Arabesque 110; US recorded and released 1993 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin + John Zorn, Vernon Frazer Menagerie Dreams KnitWorks 167; US recorded and released 1994 CD Tom Harrell, Peter Madsen, Kiyoto Fujiwara, Reggie Nicholson You Don't Know Me Arabesque 115; US recorded 1994, released 1995 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin Ride: North Sea Jazz Festival 1995 Playscape 71595; US released 2006 CD Peter Madsen, Kiyoto Fujiwara or Scott Colley, Reggie Nicholson or Matt Wilson Never Let Me Go: Quartets '95 & '96 Playscape 111095; US released 2012 3-CD set Avantango (Pablo Aslan, Thomas Chapin, Ethan Iverson) Y en el 2000 tambien: Tango & Jazz Epsa 16020; Brazil recorded 1996 CD Peggy Stern, Thomas Chapin Quartet with Drew Gress, Bobby Previte The Fuchsia Koch 7837; US recorded 1995, released 1997 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin + Strings: Mark Feldman, Boris Raskin, Kiyoto Fujiwara Haywire: Live at The Knitting Factory 1996 KnitWorks 176; US released 1996 CD Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin Sky Piece KnitWorks 208; US recorded 1996, released 1998 CD Borah Bergman Toronto 1997 Boxholder 033; US released 2003 CD

As sideman With Machine Gun Machine Gun (MU 1988) Open Fire (Mu New York 1989) Pass the Ammo (MuWorks, 1991) WFMU (MuWorks, 2000) Live at CBGB's Vol 1 06/02/87 (Musso Music, 2007) Live at the Gas Station 12/03/88 (Musso Music, 2007)

With Mario Pavone Sharpeville (Alacra, 1988) Toulon Days (New World/CounterCurrents, 1992) Song for Septet (New World/CounterCurrents, 1994) Dancers Tales (Knitting Factory, 1997)

With others Borah Bergman, Toronto 1997 (Boxholder, 2003) Michael Blake, Kingdom of Champa (Intuition, 1997) Anthony Braxton & Mario Pavone, Seven Standards 1995 (Knitting Factory, 1995) Barbara Dennerlein, Junkanoo (Verve, 1997) Armen Donelian, Quartet Language (Playscape, 2003) Ray Drummond, Continuum (Arabesque, 1994) Pamela Fleming, Fearless Dreamer (Infinite Room, 1998) Lionel Hampton, Made in Japan (Glad-Hamp, 1984) Lionel Hampton, Sentimental Journey (Glad-Hamp, 1985) William Hooker, Crossing Points (NoBusiness 2011) Frank London, Scientist at Work (Tzadik, 2002) Medeski Martin & Wood, Notes from the Underground (Accurate, 1992) Robert Musso, Active Resonance (Tokuma, 1992) Ned Rothenberg, Overlays (Moers Music, 1991) Ned Rothenberg, Real and Imagined Time (Moers Music, 1995) Daniel Schnyder, Tarantula (Enja, 1996) Peggy Stern, The Fuchsia (Koch, 1997) Walter Thompson, The Colonel (Nine Winds 1998) Axel Zwingenberger, The Boogie Woogie Album (Telefunken, 1982)

Books

Thomas Chapin. Ten Compositions (sheet music book of original compositions) (Peace Park Publishing/Akasha; US)

Documentaries Music Man: Thomas Chapin directed by Terri Castillo, 1989 directed by Terri Castillo, 1991 with features of the Thomas Chapin Trio directed by Richard Buxenbaum for Festival Productions, 1995 directed by Stephanie J. Castillo, 2004 Night Bird Song: The Thomas Chapin Story directed by Stephanie J. Castillo, released in 2016, winner "Best Story" Award, 2016 Nice (France) International Film Festival; shown at Monterey (CA) Jazz Fest, Sept., 2016