For German readers: some thoughts and notes and quotes on the music I'm listening - to be found
on my new blog:
ubus-notizen.blogspot.com

Also check out the great new, independent magazine get happy!?, reporting on music, movies and more:
gethappymag.de

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Thomas Chapin - Zaragoza 1992

Here's a show that was requested several times when I put up that list of dime shares of mine... it's by the late great Thomas Chapin.

By any account, do buy the "Alive" box compiling Chapin's Knitting Factory albums - some of the strongest alto sax playing you'll ever hear! I've heard it has seen reissue recently, but I don't know the details.

Here's a little extra that was shared by Dave, with the following comment:

Oh man, thank you for this...

Tom was an old friend, he and I moved to New York together in 1980 and shared a flat in Brooklyn for a year before I moved out west. He changed his name to Thomas that year because he was already thinking about the records he'd make and he didn't want to get confused with "Tom Chapin" the children's music/guitarist. Always thinking ahead was he.

I remember listening to him practice and being amazed that he could play along with any records, repeating what the sax or flute player was playing by playing two bars behind them. I remember how much he loved the Shakuhachi flute and James Spaulding's tone. I remember how incredibly beautifully he wrote out the charts to his songs, I still have a a copy of his chart for Bell of the Heart, one of his first compositions. I've attached it here for any that are interested, note he was still "Tom" Chapin then,

I kept up with Tom over the years, would usually see him every couple of years when he toured out west. I remember some of the ridiculous gigs, like when we was playing with Lionel Hampton at Disneyland and they made them dress up in 1920's clothes and play a hotdog stand. Sheesh! But he always found a way to keep his own music strong, he was one of a kind and I really miss him.

The third song is What's New. The first one really sounds like a TC original, but I don't know the name...

- Dave

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

Thomas Chapin
Zaragoza (ES), Centro Civico Delicias
January 11, 1992


Thomas Chapin - alto sax, flute
Jorge Pardo - tenor & soprano sax, flute
Carlo Morena - piano
Joe Fonda - bass
Fernando Llorca - drums

1. One Man Blues (Thomas Chapin) 19:52
2. Goody (Thomas Chapin) 22:03
3. What's New (Bob Haggart) 11:32
4. Cherokee (Ray Noble) 14:06
5. Yesterdays (Jerome Kern) 12:23

TT: 79:59

Sound: A
Source: FM
Lineage: cdr in trade--eac--flac level 6--dime.
Additional: FLAC > WAV > Cool Edit Pro > FLAC (8,asb,verify)

:: ubu's edits ::
centred all files (tiny DC offset)
deleted a bit of silence at the beginning of #3
fixed marks 1/2, 3/4

9 comments:

ubu said...

FLAC (tagged) + info:

http://rapidshare.com/files/209785604/Thomas_Chapin_1992-01-11_Zaragoza__ubu-edit_.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/209785979/Thomas_Chapin_1992-01-11_Zaragoza__ubu-edit_.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/209736050/Thomas_Chapin_1992-01-11_Zaragoza__ubu-edit_.part3.rar

Wallofsound said...

More Chapin is always welcome. Thanks for sharing.

wightdj said...

Good band, thanks.

Remiller4 said...

Thank you very much for this Chapin concert. It is always exciting to hear some Chapin that I didn't even know about. I cried the day he died. What a lost.
Thanks for the music. Rob

hulaboy said...

Many thanks for this fine recording of Tom Chapin, a great musician and, more important, a heck of a nice guy. And Jorge Pardo! Ever hear his recording of "'Round Midnight"? One of my favorite renditions ever.

ubu said...

I don't know Pardo, alas... will look out if I stumble over a disc of his, though!

hepcat1950 said...

Hi ubu, this is Joe Fonda's webmaster. I met him just recently, and I gave him a copy of the concert. Joe Fonda actually was overwhelmed, because he never officially recorded with Thomas Chapin who had been a close friend. Hence it's the only document of him playing with Thomas. Joe Fonda also can remember the tracks which are indicated as unknown in your track listing:

1. One Man Blues (Thomas Chapin)
2. Goody (Thomas Chapin)
3. What's New (Bob Haggart)

Thanks a lot for uploading this rare broadcast. You made Joe Fonda a happy man!

ubu said...

That's great news, hepcat!
Thanks a lot also for the tune-IDs!

Unknown said...

Hi all,
I was there!! Where is the record, please, please! Somebody can give me a link!!
Regards from Zaragoza-Spain ;-)