Thomas Chapin; Jazz Saxophonist, Composer

Thomas Chapin, 40, jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer whose final album was “Sky Piece.” In his early years in New England, Chapin (not singer-guitarist Tom Chapin, best known for children’s music) appeared an unlikely candidate to become a jazz musician. But he developed an early appreciation for recordings by saxophonists Roland Kirk and Earl Bostic and decided to follow in their footsteps. He studied saxophone at the University of Hartford and piano at Rutgers University and by the 1980s found his way to New York’s Knitting Factory. He formed a trio to work there and performed at concerts and jazz festivals around the world. The first artist signed by Knitting Factory Records, he made about 15 albums. On Feb. 13 in Providence, R.I., of leukemia.