It seems that saxophone player Thomas Chapin passed away a long time ago (actually, more than five years ago, on February 13, 1998, when he was only 40 years old). Few 'new' recordings of Chapin surfaced since his untimely death. But after listening to his collaboration with pianist Borah Bergman, their second recorded document after Inversions released by Robert Musso's MuWorks in 1992, his expressive and vivid presence comes to life.

"It was a desperate day but a day filled with intention to survive," Bergman wrote of this live recording at the Du Maurier Downtown Jazz Festival on June 26, 1997, eight months before Chapin�s death.This recording, probably the last one of the saxophonist, was already suffering from leukemia at the time (he looks very thin on the inner sleeve photos). Falling almost 11 months after his last recording with his trio - Sky Piece (Knitting Factory), it is an excellent testimony to one of Chapin�s best characteristics. He was a great communicator, a very passionate player who could bridge the most edgy and adventurous avant garde players with the mainstream audiences. Chapin survived this concert heroically.

Bergman, who is a generation older than Chapin and has recorded duets with sax heroes Evan Parker and Roscoe Mitchell, finds here a true co-conspirator for a series of five freely improvised duets. Both players enjoy the challenge of a free and open improvisation, the probing into an ever changing theme, the inspiration that such a meeting creates. Bergman usually outlines the the progression of each part, and Chapin seems to transcend his physical state and fly away, most of the time with his alto sax but most touchingly with the flute.

In his last years, and especially with his trio, Chapin was leaning toward a more accessible sound. Here, we can hear his radical side. What a great player he was, and what a great concert it was. Excellent. I only regret that it is just 45 minutes.