Thomas Chapin

Thomas Chapin (March 9, 1957 – February 13, 1998) was an American composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist. Though primarily an alto saxophonist, he also played soprano saxophone and various flutes.

Many of his recordings as a leader featured his trio with drummer Michael Sarin and bassist Mario Pavone, occasionally joined by guests.

Chapin studied with Jackie McLean and Paul Jeffrey. He played with Lionel Hampton.

Chapin died of leukemia three weeks before his 41st birthday. He last played two weeks before his death, at a benefit concert.

Biography

Alto saxophonist and flautist, Thomas Chapin was born on March 9, 1957 in Manchester, Connecticut. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts where he studied classical music and jazz. He began his serious studies in the late 1970s, attending the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, studying with saxophonist Jackie MacLean.

In 1980 he graduated from Rutgers University where he studied with saxophonist Paul Jeffrey, pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Ted Dunbar. From 1981 to 1986 he toured with the jazz grand master Lionel Hampton as lead saxophonist and musical director of the band. He also performed with Chico Hamilton's band from 1988 to 1989.

In the late 1980s he formed his own groups, of quartets, quintets, and a group and album devoted to Brazilian music, Spirits Rebellious (Alacra), as well as founding Machine Gun, a free-funk-free-jazz-rock band with guitarist/producer/engineer Robert Musso. But most notably, forming what became his signature group, a trio with bassist Mario Pavone and drummers Steve Johns and later, Michael Sarin. For nearly ten years Chapin pursued his own music, working with the Thomas Chapin Trio at festivals and clubs around the world, including a milestone career performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1995. He also arranged larger groups (Trio with Brass, "Insomnia" and Trio with Strings, "Haywire"). And he spent a good deal of his time working with the more important names in various factions of jazz. He performed with Ray Drummond, Anthony Braxton, Tom Harrell, Sonny Sharrock, John Zorn, Walter Thompson, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, Ned Rothenberg and many more.

Over his career he recorded more than fifteen albums under his name alone, including Sky Piece and Night Bird Song, the last releases with his trio and several more straight-ahead albums, including with quartet/quintet groups in I've Got Your Number and You Don't Know Me on Arabesque Records.

Thomas Chapin died of leukemia in 1998 at age forty. The New York Times called him "one of the more exuberant saxophonists and bandleaders in jazz" and "one of the few musicians to exist in both the worlds of the 'downtown' experimentalist scene, and mainstream jazz." He is survived by his wife, Terri Castillo Chapin, whom he married on October 15, 1997 in New York Hospital while being treated. He died four months later.

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 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 3rd 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 24th 1990 + December 8th, 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 22nd 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
Mario Pavone, Michael Sarin or Steve Johns et al. Alive: Third Force/Anima/Insomnia/Menagerie Dreams/Haywire/Sky Piece/Night Bird Song/Live! On Tour: UC Davis 1992 KnitWorks 248; US released 1999. 8–CD Box Set

Note: Box set collects all seven previous Knitting Factory Works releases by Chapin Trio. The eighth disc, Live! On Tour UC Davis, only appeared in this box set

As sideman

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As guest

Various artists


Books

Documentaries

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