by Owen McNally, Hartford Courant, January 28, 1999
A little under a year ago, Thomas Chapin, a rising jazz star from Manchester, died at 40 after a yearlong battle with leukemia.
In his too few years, Chapin created a solid legacy of acclaimed recordings, compositions and memorable live performances around the world.
And now Chapin's onetime mentor, the jazz saxophonist, arranger and noted educator Paul Jeffrey, has taken a step to preserve that legacy by arranging for Chapin's compositions, papers and memorabilia to become part of the music archives at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Jeffrey has headed a noted jazz program at Duke since 1983. A one-man department, he teaches jazz history, saxophone, band and independent study programs.
Obtaining material for the archives is nothing new for Duke’s jazz maestro. He also archived the works and papers of the African American composer William Grant Still. Les Brown, the renowned band leader who provided backup for comedian Bob Hope for many years, is another of a number of musicians whose papers and recordings are there.
Jeffrey met Chapin when the saxophonist/flutist was studying as an undergraduate at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School in the 1970s. Jeffrey was then associated with Jackie McLean’s jazz program at Hartt. Older fans might recall Jeffrey, who’s a master jazz arranger and ensemble leader, performing more than 20 years ago in Paul Brown’s Monday night jazz series in Bushnell Park.
Jeffrey later moved to teaching duties at Rutgers University in Brunswick, N.J. There he resumed his mentor role with Chapin, who transferred from Hartt.
""Tom was a great player. And just before his death he was on the verge of really making a breakthrough and reaching a wider audience with his music,"" Jeffrey says from his office at Duke.
""He was one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met. He didn’t have any ego. And even with his immense talent, he never tried to overshadow players in his bands.""
Jeffrey says the archival material will include Chapin’s compositions, diaries, instruments, recordings ""and just about everything connected with his music.""
Jeffrey has arranged a tribute concert for Chapin to be held Friday at 8 p.m. at Baldwin Auditorium on the Duke campus.
""It’s appropriate to have a tribute for Tom at Duke, because he had performed here. It’ll feature musicians who went to school with Tom or worked with him,"" Jeffrey says.
Chapin, who died last February, was at the height of his career when he was stricken with a fever while touring Africa. When he returned to the States, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a disease in which malignant cancers attack the blood and bone marrow.
Even when death seemed inevitable, friends say the universally well-liked, philosophical musician somehow kept up his spirits. He was, he told The Courant, happy to be ""living in the realm of the miraculous.""
Chapin died just ten days after he basked in the applause, warm love and good wishes of a standing-room-only crowd of 350 fans at a benefit concert held for him at Cheney Hall in Manchester.
Rumor had it that Chapin was far too ill even to make the trip from his Manhattan home to Manchester, his hometown.
Chapin not only showed up, but, in an emotional, mesmerizing drama, he took the stage and thanked the audience. And then for the first time in many months he played public. Although looking gaunt, he somehow managed to improvise a searingly emotional flute solo. No one who was at that love fest in Cheney Hall will ever forget that heroic moment when the dying young musician created exquisitely life-affirming music. These final bars in public under such heartbreaking circumstances were a profoundly felt ode to joy and life.
As a teenager hooked on jazz, Chapin honed his skills at Hartford jazz spots. In his 20s, he was musical director for Lionel Hampton, with whom he toured the world. Later he was a sideman with Chico Hamilton.
It was only recently that he began making his own mark with his bold, innovative playing and writing. No matter how complex or adventurous the music, it always had a passionate, cutting edge.
And no matter how successful he was becoming, Chapin remained as modest, friendly and likable as he had been when he was an enthusiastic, totally unknown kid from Manchester jamming his heart out at Hartford’s 880 Club.