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| Film premiere: Legacies: with Thomas & Terri Chapin - Sunday, March 24 on Zoom "Legacies" with Terri and Thomas Chapin Led by writer, producer and director Abby London-Crawford and editor Lee Odom Sunday, March 24th 4:40 pm EDT on ZOOM For this zoom event, Abby and Lee will share the first episode of a proposed internet series, Legacies, which focuses on saxophonist and composer, Thomas Chapin, who passed away at the age of 40 in 1998. His music spanned the full range of 20th century creative music, from Big Band jazz to modern and his own avant-garde explorations. He helped create the Knitting Factory scene in New York City in the early 80's. It also features the efforts of his widow, Terri Castillo Chapin, to preserve, protect and secure his archival legacy for future generations to discover him. During the course of making this film, Terri, herself, passed away. This episode is dedicated to them both. From the early 1960's, Abby London-Crawford (aka Abby London), was a theater student ultimately graduating with a degree in theater in 1968. After living in Mexico, Abby helped found, over a span of 45 years, two public day care centers and two progressive public elementary/middle schools, while supporting the creation of Time Capsule, a 1976 project of her late husband's writing students at Rutgers' Livingston College. Subsequently, she became the copy and managing editor of several of the literary magazines they developed. In 1999, with French filmmaker friends, Abby produced the film "Femmes de Jazz, " a portrait of a diverse group of female jazz artists in the City. For more than 25 years Abby has independently and co-produced music concerts and festivals at venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Her "Celebrating Women Composers" series became popular events. Abby still produces music today. In 2016, she was an associate producer and screening coordinator on Stephanie J. Castillo's documentary, "Night Bird Song, the Incandescent Life of Thomas Chapin." Musician/composer Chapin and his widow Terri are the subjects of her first episode of her Legacies series, edited by another master musician/composer, Lee Odom. Abby is at work on two graphic novels for preadolescents, as well as a draft of a play about her making dinner for James Baldwin. Her poem, "Cold Spring, " is included in One Breath Rising's Anthology, "At the Crossroads." London-Crawford is on the board of One Breath Rising. Lee Odom is a multi-reed instrumentalist, band leader and composer. A native of North Carolina, Lee received a bachelors in the music industry while also studying clarinet performance at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC then later moving to NYC where her performances include The Jazz Foundation, New York City Winter Jazz Festival, New York City Vision Festival, Bang on a Can Music Festival, the Harlem Jazz Boxx, The Enjoy Jazz Festival (Germany), Music Connect (Nairobi, Kenya) and other cities across the US and countries including Argentina and Scotland. Lee has performed in theatre productions which include "The Rosenberg/Strange Fruit Project" which received 5 stars from the British Theatre Guide. Lee was an Artist-in-Residence at Holmes Presbyterian Camp Holmes, NY and at Art Omi in Hudson, NY; also the clarinet instructor for The Jazz House Kids music program in Paterson, NJ, and as lead musical instructor for the Poly Prep Summer Theatre Camp in Brooklyn. write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |