Thomas Chapin

[Guy Berger]

I've been reading a little about this guy and must say that the descriptions (as well as the free MP3s on Amazon) intrigue me! I was initially tempted to pick up an individual album, but the box set seems like a terrific value, but it is ridiculously overpriced at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Is it still in print?

Guy

[Joe Christmas]

Guy, you can probably find a cheap used copy of Sky Piece somewhere (a magnificent album Dmitry turned me onto a couple of years ago). Check it out and go from there. If you like that, it's safe to say you'll want to throw for the box.

[Dmitry]

Box doesn't have original covers, just small replicas, doesn't have the original liner notes. But it has a new booklet and an extra disc of live material that was otherwise unavailable on it's own. I hear the sound of that extra disc is not the greatest.

Box should cost $40-50.

I'd buy 1-2 of his discs[sky Piece and Menagerie Dreams are awesome, especially the Sky Piece, which is an amazing cd, Al is right!], and then, if still interested go for the rest.

Or just buy the box.

[John B]

get the box. I did, based on, I believe, Dmitry's recommendation back on the BNBB and never regretted it. It looks like the Knit's site is down for purchases, so I would recommend going Canadian.

www.vergemusic.com

$70 canadian, which equals $49.88 US. I can't remember if they waive the shipping on an order this size or not. At just over $6 a disc you really can't go wrong.

[Guest Chaney]

SAM GOODY appears to be offering the set for $46.99.

[Dmitry]

It's bizarre, but there's not a single Chapin cd on eBay.

A year or two ago there were Chapin boxed sets available day in and day out.

[shrugs]

Downtown Music Gallery almost always has it.

http://www.dtmgallery.com/Main/index.htm

[shrugs]

SAM GOODY appears to be offering the set for $46.99.

That's like buying coffee at Starbucks.

[Guest Chaney]

SAM GOODY appears to be offering the set for $46.99.

That's like buying coffee at Starbucks.

I know what you mean.

[king ubu]

Seems this is the best we have as far as an artist-thread about Chapin goes....

I've played discs 1-4 and parts of 5 of the "Alive" box yesterday and my this stuff is great! Will continue today! Also have to dig up the live shows of his I've got and play them (some again, some for the first time).

I'm very much impressed by Chapin's music once again. His trio has an elasticity that allows them to groove and swing furiously, and Chapin himself adds some wild alto and flute on top (the latter under the influence of Lateef and Kirk, I assume). The albums with additional musicians are highly enjoyable, too - the one with brass is great, doing kind of a mix of Re-Birth Brass Band and James Brown... and certainly Mario Pavone on bass is a great musician, as well!

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah, Chapin's great! -- Do you have the recently released Ride? Could have used a little more love at the mastering stage, maybe, but damn it's hot. The first three tracks on there in particular.

[kh1958]

http://thomaschapin.com/

[randyhersom]

eMusic has a large Thomas Chapin selection, all of the box as indivdual albums plus the more mainstream Arabesque dates and Machine Gun. Sky Piece is wonderful.

[king ubu]

Yeah, Chapin's great! -- Do you have the recently released Ride? Could have used a little more love at the mastering stage, maybe, but damn it's hot. The first three tracks on there in particular.

No, wasn't aware of that one.

Also "Radius" (an early one from the 80s listed on the site) I don't have, neither do I have the two albums he did for one of those mainstream labels (was it Arabesque?) - how are those? Probably too tame for my liking?

[kh1958]

Yeah, Chapin's great! -- Do you have the recently released Ride? Could have used a little more love at the mastering stage, maybe, but damn it's hot. The first three tracks on there in particular.

No, wasn't aware of that one.

Also "Radius" (an early one from the 80s listed on the site) I don't have, neither do I have the two albums he did for one of those mainstream labels (was it Arabesque?) - how are those? Probably too tame for my liking?

Radius was originally on the Mu label (copies turn up on ebay)--it's a fine recording.

I didn't care for the Arabesque records when released, but the passage of time has changed my views.

I also have an LP called Spirits Rebellious from 1988 on the Alacra label, which the liner notes say is his second release on the label--that is quite good.

Edited September 14, 2007 by kh1958

[king ubu]

Thanks - I'll eventually look for these, then.. just played disc 7 (Night Bird Song, live in 1992) and it's quite a bit underwhelming after the greatness that builds up from, say disc 3-6, mainly (discs 1 and 2 are fine, but things get better and better!)

[kh1958]

I had only heard Radius, when I attended the Vancouver jazz festival in 1993 and heard the trio (with Pavone and Sarin) in a small club--I think the performance started at 1 a.m. That was one of the most incredible jazz performances I've heard in 33 years of jazz obsession. I was able to see him two more times--with a different group at the Knitting Factory (Pavone and a second bassist, plus Reggie Nicholson on drums), and the trio again, near the end of his life.

[Nate Dorward]

Unfortunately the only time I saw Chapin was right near the end in duo with Borah Bergman; it was OK but I find Bergman rather unfathomable, & I would really have liked to catch Chapin in a more "inside" setting. (The concert was later released, I think on Boxholder; maybe it sounds better with the passage of time, I don't know.)

Never heard the Arabesques; by all reports they're his most mainstream discs, as the personnel would suggest (Tom Harrell's on one).

[kh1958]

Unfortunately the only time I saw Chapin was right near the end in duo with Borah Bergman; it was OK but I find Bergman rather unfathomable, & I would really have liked to catch Chapin in a more "inside" setting. (The concert was later released, I think on Boxholder; maybe it sounds better with the passage of time, I don't know.)

Never heard the Arabesques; by all reports they're his most mainstream discs, as the personnel would suggest (Tom Harrell's on one).

Yes, they are mainstream. The one without Harrell is the better one, IMO. The recording balance doesn't seem quite right though--too much bass, and not quite enough horns.

[kh1958]

Link to thorough Thomas Chapin discography.

http://www.diapazon.pl/PelnaDyskografia.php?Id=1

[clifford_thornton]

I also have an LP called Spirits Rebellious from 1988 on the Alacra label, which the liner notes say is his second release on the label--that is quite good.

Don't know that one, but I have his first on Alacra, called The Bell of the Heart.

A relative of mine played on that date, as well as Mario Pavone's Shodo (also on Alacra - it was Pavone's label).

[kh1958]

I also have an LP called Spirits Rebellious from 1988 on the Alacra label, which the liner notes say is his second release on the label--that is quite good.

Don't know that one, but I have his first on Alacra, called The Bell of the Heart.

A relative of mine played on that date, as well as Mario Pavone's Shodo (also on Alacra - it was Pavone's label).

If your relative still has any copies, he could probably sell one to me.

[clifford_thornton]

Just one left of each...

Hell, I had to pay for mine!

[kh1958]

Just one left of each...

Hell, I had to pay for mine!

Drat!

[clifford_thornton]

Alacra LPs go for about $10 a pop on eBay. I'll let you know if I see one.