Lover of Music and Animals

Thomas Chapin was a hard-playing, spirited saxophonist-flautist who performed jazz on big outdoor stages, in concert halls and tiny clubs all over the world. He was an original who often said, “Music is my first love.” The critics called him “raucous” because he played with such intense physical energy and prowess, sometimes “using yells, roars and howls to charge his performances.”

Yet when it came to animals, no one could be softer or gentler than Thomas. Furry and feathered creatures especially delighted him. They were, shall we say, his second love. So it is not surprising that, in 1997, when he suddenly fell ill at the age of thirty-nine, an animal – a black-and-white stray kitten named Moi – became a comfort and strength to him in his final days.

As a child in Manchester, Connecticut, Thomas had grown up around cats: Boots, an all-black cat with white paws; Felicia, a regal angora with a huge plume tail; and Thomas’s favorite, Charlie, a plump, gray-and-white tiger (named after the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker). Charlie slept at the foot of Thomas’s bed during his teen years.

I remember first meeting Charlie at the home of Thomas’s parents, and how he had a strong and intelligent presence, an independent air. By that time, Thomas was living in New York City, pursuing a career in jazz, and we were dating. I was struck by how dear this little creature was to him. Often we would arrive at his parents’ house and the first thing Thomas would do was rush inside, drop his bags and call out, “Charlie! Charlie!” Thomas lit up when Charlie appeared. One year when we visited, his mother spoke softly upon our arrival. “Tom,” she said, “Charlie was sick and had to be put down.” Thomas’ head dropped to his chest and, in silence, he walked to his bedroom and didn’t come out until morning.