AN FAQ OF IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
WHY IS THIS FILM IMPORTANT?
Thomas Chapin passed too soon for all the world to get to know him. He was only 40, but his rarity in jazz is evidenced in the jazz history books as well as by the critics who watched him soar. How rare was he? Apparently no one since has come close to doing what he did back in the 1980's and 1990's. Unlike anyone in his day or to this day, he bridged the gap between traditional jazz and the avant garde, between the uptown jazz scene and the downtown scene, bringing them together with great virtuosity and tremendous energy. Without this film, Thomas Chapin and his place in American jazz would be forgotten as well as lost to the many, young and old, who are making jazz today part of their lives. It will be a film good for jazz, and good for film lovers who want to be told a great and moving story.
WHY IS IT URGENT TO GET THE FILM MADE NOW?
Thomas died on Feb. 13, 1998. That's almost 15 years ago. It's time to tell his story before it is lost and forgotten. My film will rely on first-person storytellers who knew him, played with him, and wrote about him. They are all getting older and are 15 years removed from the moments they had with Thomas. It would be harder to resurrect his memories as more time goes by and make his story as meaningful and relevant as it is for today when the popularity of jazz is waning yet the players of jazz are proliferating . As the filmmaker, I am convinced of the urgency to get this film made now. This will be my 10th documentary, and it will be finished, hopefully, as I enter the latter part of my 6th decade. I also am convinced that I need to be the one to make this film because I see the story and believe in its importance.The iron is hot, I must strike now.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THIS FILM?
More than anything, this film can enrich us. The artform of film is powerful, when done well. It can change hearts and minds, uplift us as all good and great art can do.
Thomas Chapin passed too soon for all the world to get to know him. He was only 40, but his rarity in jazz is evidenced in the jazz history books as well as by the critics who watched him soar. How rare was he? Apparently no one since has come close to doing what he did back in the 1980's and 1990's. Unlike anyone in his day or to this day, he bridged the gap between traditional jazz and the avant garde, between the uptown jazz scene and the downtown scene, bringing them together with great virtuosity and tremendous energy. Without this film, Thomas Chapin and his place in American jazz would be forgotten as well as lost to the many, young and old, who are making jazz today part of their lives. It will be a film good for jazz, and good for film lovers who want to be told a great and moving story.
WHY IS IT URGENT TO GET THE FILM MADE NOW?
Thomas died on Feb. 13, 1998. That's almost 15 years ago. It's time to tell his story before it is lost and forgotten. My film will rely on first-person storytellers who knew him, played with him, and wrote about him. They are all getting older and are 15 years removed from the moments they had with Thomas. It would be harder to resurrect his memories as more time goes by and make his story as meaningful and relevant as it is for today when the popularity of jazz is waning yet the players of jazz are proliferating . As the filmmaker, I am convinced of the urgency to get this film made now. This will be my 10th documentary, and it will be finished, hopefully, as I enter the latter part of my 6th decade. I also am convinced that I need to be the one to make this film because I see the story and believe in its importance.The iron is hot, I must strike now.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THIS FILM?
More than anything, this film can enrich us. The artform of film is powerful, when done well. It can change hearts and minds, uplift us as all good and great art can do.
- For teachers of music or jazz, Thomas is an example of a musician who was schooled in the classics and traditions of jazz, yet able to reach beyond to find free expressions in the avant garde. He provided a bridge between the two like no one else at the time was able. Thomas' life of dedication, discipline and determination can model for the young the value of commitment, responsibility and perseverance one of the most difficult of professions -- the arts. His creativity, passion and joy reflect how a dedicated artist can live in the moments of life so fully and thoroughly.
- For those of us who are wannabe artists, his story challenges us to live our dreams, hopes and passions, especially those of us whose doubts and fears threaten to stop us.
- For jazz lovers, the film will help spread the gospel of jazz and expand its reach to jazz newcomers, inspiring them and wooing them to explore this art form because of the remarkable story of Thomas Chapin, who made it into the the jazz history books.
- For schools and programs that focus on jazz education, stories like Thomas' are needed to give positive examples of artists who pursued their music without compromise and without relying on drugs or drink to master their craft.
- For all of us who love good stories, stories about artists and their journeys to find free and divine expression for their art, such as Thomas, will inspire us and feed our spirits, for they give us new and vicarious experiences that could or might change us, and the world.