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.

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.

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)

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

• Music Man: Thomas Chapin directed by Terri Castillo, 1989
• Dancing Chicken Man: Thomas Chapin on YouTube directed by Terri Castillo, 1991
• Newport Jazz Festival, 1995 on YouTube with features of the Thomas Chapin Trio directed by Richard Buxenbaum for Festival Productions, 1995
• Jazz Man: Thomas Chapin on YouTube 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