Thomas Chapin - sax
NoBusiness Records 2011
Thomas Chapin's death from leukemia at the age of 40 is one of the most tragic twists in jazz history (and jazz history has its share of those - where would Coltrane be or Clifford Brown if they were to live longer?). This post-mortem release comes as unexpected but tremendously welcomed surprise for all the fans of this musician and presents him outside the common setting of his trio as he features on one concert of a series of duos played by William Hooker in NYC in 1992.
"Subway" is a 28mins long marathon, Hooker's colossal, muscular drumming keeps the charge, relentless and restless, while Chapin tries to keep up with fresh ideas and harden the tone. It is bit exhausting in the middle but they surge back with great energy in the end, although I feel that Hooker is overpowering the music a little bit.
