Jen Chapin - News

2012-05-07

Hi! I'm writing from a family vacation in Paris, but I just had to sneak a little gig in, this Saturday May 12th at a little neighborhood cafe called Chez Anne. It's actually not far from the namesake of that Brooklyn venue we love so much, Barbes. I hope to be back there soon.. but for now, this is pretty nice!

Jen

2012-04-25

Hello everyone!

The "unflappable melodist" (NYT) on the guitar, Jamie Fox, and I just had a very special weekend in Michigan, joining the Chapin Family festivities in a benefit for the Hope Center of Macomb north of Detroit, and then heading west to Grand Haven for two engagements there. The wonderful singer-songwriter and great person [A:http://www.brianvanderark.com|Brian Vander Ark] and the C3 Community hosted us for a concert on Saturday and musical spiritual Earth Day gathering on Sunday. We are so grateful to our fantastic hosts, and to all of you who came out to the shows there. Michigan rocks - we will be back!

Next on to Florida, where I will be giving a keynote address (much scarier than singing for me!) at the Hunger Summit of the Harry Chapin Food Bank of SW Florida. This is free and open to the public. Later that evening, Jamie will come down for a benefit for the Food Bank at a lovely arts center in Fort Myers. Before coming home after our too short FL trip, we'll stop in the Tampa area for a house concert. See schedule for details.

Other upcoming gigs -- Highlights are a return of the band (after 10+ years) to our old home base, the legendary Bitter End in Greenwich Village NYC, on Friday, June 29th. Song requests for that set list now being accepted at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com| jen@jenchapin.com]!

Parting thoughts -I was dropping off recycling down in the basement of my big Brooklyn apartment building some weeks back, and it occurred to me to peek in the laundry room. You see, we have been living here in our big Brooklyn apartment building since 1999, but we obtained the wondrous situation of our own washer and dryer in 2008. Bye bye laundry room! No more wondering if the change machine is working or if the dryers are going full blast. Not my problem!

But now it was time to check in on this shared resource, and reflect again about "the commons." I was struck by how the laundry room served as a symbol of all those things that we invest in and share in our society, and which people of privilege (like we fortunate urban washer dryer owners) too often check out of, as soon as we have a chance. Local schools not good enough for your kids? Well if you can afford private schools, don't worry about it (until your business can't find qualified workers..) Crumbling infrastructure means the water in your pipes is no longer safe to drink? Just get the delivery guy to drop off some tanks! Police Force slashed in half? Get a fancy alarm system, or better yet, one of those downsized cops to serve as a bodyguard!

Then there are the necessary but ultimately unjust ways that the public sector fills in the gaps for the private sector. In this day and age, our shared resources are supplementing the abysmally low wages of extremely profitable companies like Walmart ($16Billion in profit in 2010) with SNAP (food stamp) benefits and Medicaid, paid for by the rest of us. Many if not most workers in the huge discount retail sector depend on public benefits and publicly subsidized private charity to survive. Meanwhile, Walmart, like many other global corporations, could easily pay its workers a living wage, thereby stimulating local economies with increased consumer demand and more jobs, boosting the health of families, and lessening the burden on all of us to pick up the enormous slack. Do it, Go "job creators"! You can do it! Hooray! (More information on this, [A:http://www.good.is/post/how-wal-mart-could-easily-pull-thousands-of-its-employees-out-of-poverty|here])

Tax day has come and gone, and too many of us are not cognizant of what our taxes actually pay for, and what the cost is when we fail to invest in our shared resources; as has been the tendency of failed leadership and angry citizens of late. Yes, we need to keep a cold hard eye to make sure our governments spend wisely and accountably, but we especially need to elevate the national - and international - debate so that we can consider the same set of indisputable facts, stop demonizing each other, and find some common sense solutions. And repair a heck of a lot of bridges.

For the record, the building laundry room is clean and operational for my neighbors, and for us when we need it again..

Thanks for listening! And please do so - the tunes are all up and streaming here!

2012-04-21

Hi all!

Jamie Fox, "unflappable melodist" on the guitar, and I are having a lovely weekend in Michigan, and will be performing tonight with our friend Brian Vander Ark at the Grand Haven Community Center.

Next week we fly to Fort Myers and Tamp, FL -- please see schedule page for details --

Jen

Composer / Occupier Concert and Dialogue: "Love in the band and blood on the floor"
2012-04-09

I'm excited to be part of this happening tomorrow night! If you are feeling aventurous and are near Brooklyn, come check us out at 33 Flatbush Ave..

http://www.facebook.com/events/252582548165867/

Composer / Occupier Concert in downtown Brooklyn featuring:

-Tom Swafford's "String Power" orchestra

-Nathan Fuhr with Rzewski's "Coming Together" & "Attica", with guests Shazhad Ismaily and Sondra Sun-Odeon

-Jen Chapin's protest songs

-Joey Molinaro's "The Great Unwashed"

String Power plays "Expectorant" (Tom Swafford), "Fables of Faubus" (Charles Mingus, arr. Tom Swafford), and "Raining Blood" (Slayer, arr. Tom Swafford), conducted by Nathan Fuhr.

Tom Swafford orchestrates Rzewski's "Coming Together" and "Attica" for String Power plus guests, with Nathan on voice and direction, and parallel improvisers Shazhad Ismaily and Sondra Sun-Odeon. A minimalist-cum-maximalist protest score rarely done justice* due to its extreme demands of physical as well as psychological endurance.

Jen Chapin's music is urban folk soul - story songs that search for community and shared meaning, powered by the funk and improvisation of the city. Songs featured at this event will look at the Occupy movement and a feeling of personal rebirth in that, the broken food system, our security-industrial complex, the 2004 election in Ohio, political passivity, and so on...

featuring Jamie Fox on guitar

Joey Molinaro invites all performers to participate in "The Great Unwashed" regardless of preparation or musical proficiency. Message him to attend optional rehearsals.

At the conclusion of the performance there will be a loosely-facilitated discussion over beer about the works performed and the role of composers in resistance/ revolution/ occupy movement.

This event is free, but donations are welcome and will go toward performers.

* = love in the band and blood on the floor.

http://www.tomswafford.com/

http://www.urbanrituals.org/

http://www.jenchapin.com/

http://www.joeymolinaro.com/

2012-03-22

Happy Spring everyone!

Last Saturday I brought my boys to a march celebrating the 6 month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement and heralding the "American Spring." While Van napped on my back, Maceo joined the chants and got a deluxe ride on the shoulders of a very kind man from Senegal whose name amid the festivities sounded something like "Hamish". We also spoke with a matter-of-fact grandmother from New Jersey who is active in the Occupy Student Debt movement ($1 Trillion and counting), and discussed all the decent investment bankers we know with a man from Queens bearing the sign "St. Patrick - drive all the snakes from Wall Street!" We were given balloons and flowers, and had a grand time.

I have joined the movement in my own small way for many reasons, in admiration of its decentralized and non-cult-of-personality nature ("leaderless and leaderful," Cornel West called it), with concern for the reckless and rapacious consolidation of the food system around the world, in celebration of its many means of expression, from music to good food to the famous "mic check," with excitement in the flowering of complex connections being made and alternatives being explored, and with fervent belief in the commons.

It is those things that we hold in common as a society, those institutions that require the participation of the community to thrive and tax-based funding from the government to survive, that enable entrepreneurship and creativity to flourish. Parks, transportation networks, water supplies, public safety, scientific research, and so on. The commons, and those who work in them, have been under attack in recent years, and I join the Occupy movement as part of the push back against that short-sighted trend.

For us these days, it is all about public schools, and the beloved and sometimes beleaguered local elementary school which has become a nurturing locus of our community and family life. The arts, among other vital programs, have been cut from the school budget, and the community is working together to restore them, bit by bit. This coming March 31st will see another one of our fund- and friend-raising House Concert Benefits for PS9 Arts Programs, also featuring the contemporary classical music of fellow PS9 parent and acclaimed composer [A;http://www.seanhickey.com|Sean Hickey].

I have a lot of other interesting shows coming up - please do check out the schedule page! -- with the latest addition just coming in from Fort Myers, Florida. It's rare that we get to make the trip to the sunshine state, so before I book our tickets, please let me know if you'd like us to add another Florida date at your home or other special space, on Saturday, April 28th..

If you have a moment, I'd love to hear from you with a quick reply. Thanks for listening!

Jen

PS - One of the big inspirations to me in songwriting is the incomparable Bill Withers. I highly recommend that you seek out this powerful documentary about him, [A:http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2010/03/08/100308crmu_music_frerejones?currentPage=all|"Still Bill"] , that says so much about art, family, and roots.

Jen Chapin solo, duo, trio and band - in NYC, Michigan, Paris, MD, PA..
2012-03-14

Happy Spring everyone!

In theory I am focusing on songwriting (oh yeah, and WhyHunger Board duties, various committees, childrearing, housekeeping, etc., etc..) these days over booking tours, but the schedule manages to be interesting nonetheless. Following is a preview of gigs we have coming up this spring, including a guest appearance and emcee honors this Friday in NYC at a 15th anniversary celebration of my friend KJ Denhert and her fabulous band! Then on to Michigan, Paris (!), the suburbs of Baltimore and Philly, and so on..

If you have a moment, I'd love to hear from you at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

Thanks for listening!

Jen

I am honored to be asked to emcee and sing a song with:

[A:http://www.kjdenhert.com|KJ Denhert & the NY Unit]

Friday, March 16th * 8 pm

[A:http://www.tribecapac.org|BMCC Tribeca PAC "Spotlight Series"]

199 Chambers Street, NY NY * (212) 220-1460 * $15

Solo special guest and emcee

Saturday, March 31st * 6 - 9 pm

[A:http://www.ps9brooklyn.org/news/2012/03/ps-9-benefit-concert-afro-groove-meets-urban-folk-soul-for-valentines-day|House Concert to benefit PS9 Arts Programs]

Also featuring the contemporary classical music of [A:http://www.seanhickey.com|Sean Hickey]

Our place, near Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn * 347 432 0283 * $65 couple, $35 individual includes dinner, drinks, dessert, music and childcare!

Tickets on sale now at [A:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/228937|Brown Paper Tickets]

Trio with Stephan Crump on acoustic bass and Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Friday, April 20th * 8 pm

[A:http://www.hopecentermacomb.org/chapinconcert|An Evening of Chapin Music featuring a Tribute to HARRY CHAPIN with The Chapin Family]

WSC Performing Arts Center

12901 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights MI 48312 * 586-294-4673

$30, $35 -- including : Tom Chapin, Jen Chapin, The Chapin Sisters

a benefit for [A:http://www.hopecentermacomb.org|Hope Center of Macomb]

Please bring non-perishable food! tickets on sale now at (586) 491-2924

Duo with Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Saturday, April 21st * 8 pm

C3 Exchange presents Grand Haven Community Center - Acacia Auditorium

421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven MI 49417 *616.842.2550 * $15 adv./$20 door (tickets available soon through Eventbrite)

With very special guest [A:http://www.brianvanderark.com|Brian Vander Ark]

Duo with Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Sunday, April 22nd * 10 am

[A:http://www.facebook.com/c3xchange|C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community]

Grand Haven Community Center

421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven MI 49417

We'll be contributing some songs to the mix, with an Earth Day theme in mind!

Duo with Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Saturday, May 12th * time tba

[A:http://www.dixhuitinfo.com/portraits/article/chez-anne-conjugue-nourritures|Chez Anne]

41, rue du Ruisseau, 75018 Paris France * +33 (1) 42234203

Duo with Stephan Crump on acoustic bass

Friday, May 25th * 8 pm

[A:http://www.kennettflash.org|Kennett Flash]

102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square PA 19348 * 484-732-8295

$15 advance/$18 at the door - TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT [A:http://www.kennettflash.org/tickets.html|http://www.kennettflash.org/tickets.html]

Trio with Stephan Crump on acoustic bass and Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Saturday, June 2nd * 7:30 pm

[A:http://bonniebranch.org|Concerts at Bonnie Branch]

Ellicott City, MD

for more information and/or to reserve please contact Ryan Simmons at [A:mailto:Concert@BonnieBranch.org|Concert@BonnieBranch.org]

Trio with Stephan Crump on acoustic bass and Jamie Fox on electric guitar

Thursday, June 28th * time tba

[A:http://www.89northmusicvenue.com/|89 North]

Patchogue NY

helping to open this brand new venue!

with opening sets from Cassandra House and Silverqueen

Full band!

2012-01-31

Hi everyone!

First, I'd like to send a shout out to all the places where we are not playing this month --

Ohio, Indiana, & Iowa - nothing on the horizon yet, but we never go too long without a midwestern tour taking shape!

Paris - a family trip will take us to France in early May. Il ya quel qu'on en cette belle endroit qui voudrais offrir un concert du maison?

Maryland - I'll be joined with the full "Rosetta Trio" (featuring Stephan Crump, Jamie Fox plus Liberty Ellman; now making a fantastic tour in Europe) for a private house concert on June 2nd near Baltimore. Please let me know if you are in the vicinity and would like us to pay a visit to your living room or neighborhood venue that weekend..

New England/Atlantic Canada - We'll be doing our now traditional August tour up to Nova Scotia and back, and hope to see you in Rhode Island, upstate NY, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and/or New Brunswick..

Where we are playing is in and around NYC: This Thursday 2/2 will have me returning to my old home base in Greenwich Village, The Bitter End, for a duo show with one of the first musicians here that I admired from afar (and now near), electric bassist Kevin Jenkins. I'll see if I can get Kevin to contribute his luscious backing vocals too, for a few songs on our 1/2 hour set opening up for old friends [A:http://www.burlaptocashmere.com|Burlap to Cashmere]. By Tuesday 2/7 my regular trio-mates will have returned, and we will head up to Westchester County to play the Watercolor Café on Larchmont. Come for dinner and catch an opening set by Garry Novikoff!

We have two Valentines-themed shows the following weekend in Brooklyn, for which we will be pulling all the love songs out of the archives. The tiny, wonderful Barbés in Park Slope will be the place on Friday, February 10th, and then on the 11th we host our own benefit house concert for art programs at my son Maceo's school. PS9! PS9! The gorgeous Pyeng Threadgill will also be pulling out the romance on that one.

Speaking of the greatest love ("justice is what love looks like in public" -- Cornel West), I'll leave you with a tragically relevant call to action from Martin Luther King, taken from his 4/4/67 speech at Riverside Church in NYC http://www.truth-out.org/special-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-his-own-words/1326736984

..If we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people,

the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies..

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that the edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring.

Thanks,

Jen

shows coming up in Feb..
2012-01-26

Thursday, February 2nd * 7:30 pm

[A:http://www.bitterend.com|The Bitter End]

147 Bleecker Street (between Thompson and LaGuardia), New York NY 10012 * (212) 673-7030

playing an opening set for our old friends [A:http://www.burlaptocashmere.com|Burlap to Cashmere]

Tuesday, February 7th * 7:30 pm

[A:http://www.watercolorcafe.net|The Watercolor Café]

2094 Boston Post Road, Larchmont NY 10538 * 914 834 2213 * $20

With an opening set from [A:http://garrynovikoff.com|Garry Novikoff]

Reservations strongly recommended

Friday, February 10th * 8 pm

[A:http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com|Barbes]

376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope Brooklyn NY 11215 * 347 422 0248 * $10 * Valentine's Show! Nothing but love songs..

Saturday, February 11th * 6 - 9 pm

[A:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/216550|House Concert to benefit PS9 Arts Programs]

Our place, near Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn * 347 432 0283

$65 couple, $35 individual includes dinner, drinks, dessert, Valentines music and childcare!

Tickets on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/216550

2012-01-11

For those of you in the NYC metropolitan area, we have a variety of interesting shows coming up -- a "Political Songs of Change" concert on January 19th in the West Village, an overdue Trio trip to Hillside Café in Nutley NJ on January 21st, and then a return to our Brooklyn neighborhood for a February 10 show at wonderful Barbes and a benefit house concert chez nous on February 11th. After all the political songs of January, I'm thinking of doing a Valentines themed set list for February - what do you think?

While I'm soliciting opinions, I would love to hear your input on what you would like to see and hear on my website, which is due for a renovation this year. Please write to [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com] to offer your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.

To wrap up the year and send us off to the next, here is a selection of wonderful non-profit organizations that are changing our world for the better, and could use your support. In no particular order:

Not that I am looking for more unpaid work in my life, but I couldn't resist the invitation to join the Board of [A:http://www.m4sc.org/friends/welcomeslideshow.aspx|Music2Life], a newly energized initiative founded by Noel (Paul) Stookey to harness the power of music for change - through technology, education and community action - for current and new generations of musicians, fans and causes. Yes!

Women have been making our mark as singers, songwriters and bandleaders for many years now (though we often feel compelled to show a lot of skin in the process..) The next step is to build up the ranks of real players - instrumentalists, producers, recording engineers, etc. who happen to be female, in popular music. I was recently invited to help out with the [A:http://williemaerockcamp.org|Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls], and I'm excited to join the cause.

Our son Maceo is in the "G & T" (gifted and talented) class in 1st grade, which can basically be translated as "Got books & parent Time." Sure, Maceo is bright, but his academic success really comes down to him living in a home full of books, with two freelancer working parents who have the flexibility to read to him. (I might also add that we don't watch TV, except for NY Jets football, for better or worse..) Too many American kids don't have this head start, and that's where [A:http://www.rif.org|RIF-Reading is Fundamental] comes in, to "prepare and motivate children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and resources who need them most."

I've been supporting the brilliant work of [A:http://www.hopenorth.org|Hope North] for some years, but recently WhyHunger has started supporting them as well, quite substantively, through our "Imagine" campaign against Child Hunger in partnership with Yoko Ono and Hard Rock International. Founded by Ugandan theater artist Okello Sam to counter the devastation wrought on children by civil war, Hope North is a vibrant school for refugees, orphans and former child soldiers with a basis in the healing power of the arts, music and dance.

WhyHunger's partner[A:http://www.smallplanetfund.org|The Small Planet Fund], founded by Frances Moore Lappé, a visionary writer who was a mentor to both my dad and myself, and her equally inspiring daughter Anna, knows that a sustainable, just food system comes from the grassroots up.

Before the end of his achievement-filled 38 years, my father Harry Chapin founded [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger] and [A:http://www.licares.org|Long Island Cares]. Both are still going strong in their work transforming the food system and fighting hunger, as is the small but impactful [A:http://www.harrychapinfoundation.org|Harry Chapin Foundation], founded by my family after Harry's passing in 1981.

And of course I must tip the hat to my own community-building passion of 2011, the "leaderless and leaderful" [A:http://www.occupywallst.org|Occupy Wall Street]. The vibrant, peaceful camp at Zuccotti Park may have been evicted last month, but the work of continuing the conversation about economic justice and political integrity continues.

There are so many ways to participate (try a internet search for what is going on in your own area), and for my own part I have felt a new urge to take to the streets and be counted, as I was earlier this month at the exhilarating [A:http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/farmersmarchv/?akid=430.77659.RyPU5P&rd=1&t=2|"Occupy Food: Farmers March."] (That's me in this great little video, holding the Brooklyn Food Coalition banner. Which reminds me -- [A:http://www.brooklynfoodcoalition.org|BFC] is another great group working on good food for all that welcomes your support!) But really, it is all about the conversation, and holding ourselves and each other accountable, through ongoing dialogue and action, as citizens. This is what too much of our financial system and our large corporations (especially those 4 behemoths who control our food system) have failed to do - be citizens. When the rest of us (dare I say, the 99%?) step up, get informed, speak out, vote with our wallets for local, small, community businesses and institutions, we are making a difference.

Here's a great piece connecting OWS to the season:

"…He was an unshaven, sandal-clad vagrant who claimed no permanent address, fed thousands in public spaces, spoke against economic inequality and materialism, and was firmly committed to peace and nonviolence…" http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/441-occupy/9107-focus-carl-gibson-occupy-the-dinner-table

Some more clarity:

"What the Occupy movement makes evident, as most of us are painfully aware, is that the current political economy does not work for most Americans, nor does it work for our brothers and sisters around the world. Yet, it does not tell us what to think. Instead, it encourages us to think and to learn through the countless discussions that take place each day at occupation sites around the country and abroad."

It also does not tell us to follow, but to learn and lead; that our voices are valuable and deserve to be heard. It does not promise solutions, but it reminds us that, together, we can do better, much better, not only in meeting the needs of our fellow citizens, but also in being a real leader in the world - one that is respected because of its ability to live up to its ideals, rather than feared for its ability to terrorize and destroy our enemies. Moreover, it reminds us that it is we, the people, who are capable of standing up to the power and corruption of those at the top. And it connects us in a very human way to all of those who came before us who struggled to achieve a better world and unites us with all of those who struggle now around the world. It joins us with those who believe, as Ghandi said, that "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." http://www.truth-out.org/why-we-all-need-experience-occupy-wall-street/1323445491

All the best to you all for 2012! It's going to be a great year!

Jen

Happy New Year!
2011-12-28

Happy New Year everyone!

I was just invited to join the panel for an evening of "political comedy, conversation, and music, that's different than anything you've seen this year" -- The End Of the Year As We Know It, with comedian Scott Blakeman, will be held on Friday, December 30th at 7:30 at The Playroom theater in NYC. I'm excited to be part of this, and don't know quite what to expect!

Other upcoming highlights (details at "schedule") are: a January 7th talk and songs to kick off the day-long "Art for Hunger's Sake" at Hofstra University in Long Island, some Jen Chapin Trio showcases on January 8th at the annual APAP - Association of Performing Arts Presenters - Conference in Manhattan (not open to the public as far as I know, but please send us good luck! These are to convince presenters around the country that they need to bring us to your town..), a "Political Songs of Change" concert on January 19th in NYC, an overdue Trio trip to Hillside Café in Nutley NJ on January 21st, and then a return to our Brooklyn neighborhood for a February 10 show at wonderful Barbes and a benefit house concert chez nous on February 11th. After all the political songs of January, I'm thinking of doing a Valentines themed set list for February - what do you think?

Here's a great piece connecting OWS to the season:

Some more clarity:

All the best to you all for 2012! It's going to be a great year!

Jen

Hungerthon is on!
2011-11-23

Hey Everyone,

If you click at the icon at bottom -- WhyHunger -- you can enter into a world of good news and inspiration about the new power poor and hungry people are gaining over their lives around the world, thanks to the great work of WhyHunger and the innovations of our grassroots partners. You can also support this work directly by going to www.hungerthon.org before November 30th to donate, and get some cool gifts and online auction items while you're at it.

I have been connected to WhyHunger for most of my life and now serve on our Board, and our systemic, root-causes, grassroots approach to fighting hunger and economic injustice is ingrained in me. For this and other reasons I am deeply inpsired by the Occupy Wall Street movement and the way it has brought the searing issue of economic injustice to the forefront of our national dialogue, where it belongs. There is much to say on this topic (and I've said much in a recent posting on November 14th, which you can find on the site), but for now I'll let some video do the talking.

This is a wonderful film, in which I appear singing my "Passive People" at around minute 16:25: http://www.michaelsrusso.org/2011/11/occupy-wall-street-forum.html

Also here is our recent visit to Occupy DC, where we bundled up to sing a few songs on November 18th: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuXV9DxrO4

We have one more show this year, a Chapin Family Holiday Celebration on December 10th iin Bethlehem PA. See "gigs" for details on this and other shows in the new year.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

no show tonight!
2011-11-22

It's been a good run these last few days, but we will have to postpone our show tonight at the Watercolor Cafe in Larchmont. Stay tuned for a new date! Thanks,

Jen

PS -- please donate at www.hungerthon.org!

Jen Chapin Trio in the Fall, Rock Camp for Girls, Hungerthon, and Occupy Wall Street
2011-11-14

UPDATE: Jen Chapin Trio will be performing tonight, 9:30 pm, at Occupy DC in McPherson Square in Washington DC. Unplugged or plugged, we shall see!

Hello good people!

I have too much to say! So let me just get out of the way the official topic of this update -- gigs. We are heading to Maryland and Virginia next weekend for some concert workshops with kids and a private house concert, then will play closer to home on Monday 11/21 in Long Island and Tuesday 11/22 in Westchester County. Please see the full details for these shows and a sneak peek at the winter (Save the date for 12/10 in Bethlhem PA, 1/21/12 in Nutley NJ and 2/10/12 in Brooklyn), on the gigs page.

I won't be performing that evening, but I was honored to be invited to serve on the host committee for "A Little Bit of Rhythm & A Lot of Soul: Cocktails, Live Music, and the Story of Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls" on Wednesday, November 30th. What more do I have to say? It's a rock camp (and other great music programs) for girls (and women)! I am just getting acquainted with this exciting organization but I look forward to attending on the 30th and learning more. Please check out [A:http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ywx85ieab&v=001gjTeQvTgjpp3k7kd2YeceFLD0IZpL33xMl_lM-1IRU_PP5qagE-z73BYzc09trFusD0pU66tg4XGlI1D6J15SCMKVEagNgT6pts_pQSyvwY%3D|this invitation] and consider joining us.

And of course it's Hungerthon season. This is when [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger], the hunger and poverty fighting group on whose Board I serve, takes over the NYC airwaves to inform and fundraise about the needless crime of hunger in a world that has more than enough food. I taped an hour-long interview with host Deb Gordon where we really got into the issues and I played my new song "Feed Your Baby" that will air on WCBS FM 101.1 on Sunday November 20th from 6 - 7 am. Yup, prime time! You can listen on the NYC dial or online at http://wcbsfm.radio.com if you are an early bird. In any case, please show your support and learn more at www.hungerthon.org. Every little donation and gesture towards spreading the word helps, and there are some cool gifts to be had as well..

[A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger] has always looked at the big picture and fought hunger in a systemic way, while we've seen that local grassroots action across the globe can be the most effective way to change our broken food system for the better. The global food system is deeply entangled with the financial system and is a vehicle for the same reckless and predatory practices that endanger billions of lives, livelihoods and the very idea of authentic capitalism. I am deeply inspired and energized by the Occupy Wall Street movement and have been making weekly visits to Zuccotti Park to listen and play some songs, and I invite you all to learn more and engage. This movement is calm, hard-working, positive, and determined. Its means and ends are intermeshed, as the community aims for inclusiveness and transparency, true democracy - however cumbersome - and sustainability. Its goals are bigger than any set list of demands as it is looking toward a moral and practical reframing of society, where the economy serves the people, rather than demanding our servitude. As an investment banker friend of mine commented as we visited the Park one afternoon, this is about basic "integrity." As a veteran at Occupy Louisville recently returned from Iraq explained: that was service abroad, this is about serving ones country at home.

Imagine if Steve Jobs' genius extended down the supply chain? If every transaction that occurred on the path to making a laptop or iphone were conducted with integrity and a sense of responsibility, so that mineral miners in Congo and assembly line workers in China were given the living wage and humane working conditions they have earned, and were thereby able to spread wealth and build markets around their own communities? If the full life cycle of each product were considered at its conception; so that invention, production, sale, use and discarding each were seen as opportunities for enhancing wealth and welfare rather than extracting it? Shareholders and executives might be compensated with a little less money, though they would get to live in a lot better, cleaner, more democratic and safer world.

This movement is about recognizing our shared responsibility, about demanding accountability; about strengthening public institutions that work and creating alternate, more accountable institutions where needed. I wrote a new article, "Biting Off a Piece of Revolution" to be published in the "Finding Solutions" newsletter, just before the Occupy movement began, but it speaks to that same hunger to be part of institutions and businesses with integrity and accountability, whether they be for food, education, finances or whatever. (You can read it on the "Thoughts" page) Also since this was written, my family has embarked upon the process of detaching from our account at the megabank to join a local credit union. It's a little less convenient, but we are all learning how convenience is killing us, whether it be in the form of fast food, excessive driving, piles of plastic packaging, or easy credulity at the slick claims of corporate interests.

There is much good information out there about the movement. Here are a few useful commentaries:

(view both videos!)

http://readersupportednews.org/video/4-video/8143-occupywall-street-movement-per-chris-hedges-a-amy-goodman

From WhyHunger staff member Siena Chrisman:

http://civileats.com/2011/10/13/why-the-food-movement-should-occupy-wall-street/

On moving your money:

http://washingtonpeacecenter.net/node/6123

I welcome your thoughts and questions. Thanks for reading, and listening!

Jen

2011-10-12

Hello good people!

Our late summer/fall odyssey of 6 weeks on the road has come to an end, and I'm glad to be home for awhile (though Mr. Crump spent less than 24 hours in Brooklyn before flying to Europe with the [A:http://www.vijay-iyer.com|Vijay Iyer Trio]. Wooo.) Thanks so much to our old and new friends who joined us at these shows across VT, RI, MA, ME, NB, NS, PA, VA, KY, IN, WV, NV, CA, AZ, NM, CO.. And MVP awards go to Maceo and Van Crump, super road warriors and morale boosters. Having two little boys in the back of the van for 8 hour drives is the easy part -- Now if we could just get this durn music business to behave..

Closer to home, [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and I will be joined by our old friend [A:http://www.chrischeek.net|Chris Cheek] on baritone saxophone for a very special "World Food Day" Chapin Family Concert this Sunday October 16th, at the magnificent [A:http://www.tarrytownmusichall.org|Tarrytown Music Hall] in Westchester, NY. Along with my uncles Tom and Steve, my dad's former bandmates Howard Fields and John Wallace, and my cousins Abigail and Lily as "The Chapin Sisters", we will be performing some Harry Chapin tunes as well as several of my own. A great rehearsal yesterday worked up our interpretation of Harry's "Flowers Are Red," which I'm excited to perform for the first time. Please see concert details below.

Looking ahead a bit, our last little trip of the year will take place next month, and though that weekend is busy with workshops for school kids, we are eager to perform on the evening of Friday, November 18th in the Annapolis/Baltimore/Washington DC area. Please let me know if you have any ideas, requests, suggestions or offers!

This is a frightening yet exciting time in the world and I am hopeful at the stirring of movements for greater economic justice at home and abroad. [A:http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com|The struggles] people are experiencing in our current economic system, which many of you know all too intimately, are devastating, unnecessary and just not smart. [A:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-06/u-s-cost-of-hunger-was-167-5-billion-in-2010-researchers-say.html|(Hunger, for instance, conservatively cost our economy $167.5 billion in 2010, and that is without adding in the $94 billion expense of government nutrition programs).] I like the phrase used by food justice activist and writer France Moore Lappé -- "evolving capitalism" -- and it seems we are ripe to kick-start the next phase of evolution towards an intelligent, humane, and environmentally conscious market economy that brings true freedom to people. I also like the [A:http://nycga.cc/2011/09/30/declaration-of-the-occupation-of-new-york-city|Declaration] of the people camping out in downtown NYC, whom I plan to visit this weekend. The economy is supposed to work for people, not the other way around.

On a more immediate note, there are many ways you can join in a small statement of support for the work of the organization my dad Harry co-founded, [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger], this week. WhyHunger was recently awarded a four star (the highest) rating from [A:http://www.charitynavigator.org|Charity Navigator] which evaluates non-profit organizations for their effectiveness and transparency. Here's the news:

* WhyHunger recently launched a new Facebook page to share inspiring stories of individuals and communities who have made a difference in fighting hunger & poverty in the US and abroad. Please:

· Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WhyHungerFans

· Recommend our page to your friends ( you will be promoted to do this once you "like" the page)

· Share a tweet: Join me in supporting @whyhunger in the fight against hunger & poverty "Like" WhyHunger on Facebook today: http://on.fb.me/ovQ4z3

· Update your LinkedIn status and share this message to your groups: Let us help end hunger & poverty. "Like" WhyHunger on Facebook today: http://www.facebook.com/WhyHungerFans

· Send a note to your e-mail network

Other news:

NEW YORK (AP) - Yoko Ono is launching a global campaign to raise money and awareness to help fight childhood hunger and poverty.

The 78-year-old widow of John Lennon is asking that on Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), people "take a moment to imagine a nourished and abundant world, where 'the world will live as one.'"

Hard Rock International and WhyHunger are partners with Ono for the campaign called "Imagine There's No Hunger." Various Hard Rock locations will host events on that day aimed at raising awareness.

Sunday would have been Lennon's 71st birthday, and Tuesday is the 40th anniversary of his song "Imagine," which Ono co-produced.

A limited-edition bracelet will go on sale to support the campaign's efforts and people can also text the word "Imagine" to 50555 to donate.

http://news.yahoo.com/yoko-ono-campaign-raise-hunger-awareness-151102922.html

Thanks so much!

Jen

Upcoming Gigs:

(My apologies to the Jersey Shore as our planned benefit for this Saturday 10/15 in Asbury Park has been cancelled. We will be back!)

Sunday, October 16th * 7 pm

"Harry Chapin: A Celebration in Song"

[A:http://www.tarrytownmusichall.org|Tarrytown Music Hall]

13 Main St., Tarrytown NY 10591 * 914-631-3390 * $35 - $70

Featuring Jamie Fox and Chris Cheek; With Tom Chapin, Steve Chapin, John Wallace, Howard Fields, Clark Wallace, Jonathan Chapin, Abigail Chapin and Lily Chapin

Jen Chapin Trio coming to Reno, San Francisco, LA, Tubac AZ, Santa Fe and Denver!
2011-09-21

I'm writing this in the car (the brave [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] at the wheel) coming home from West Virginia, but there's no time to skip a beat in preparing for the next tour. This time airplanes and rental vans and a broken elevator in Brooklyn are involved - yikes! -- as we pack the up the two young ones and the Jen Chapin Trio for travels around the vast southwest. It's been 3 years since we've been west and we're excited to see you at concerts in Reno NV, Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Monica CA; Tubac AZ, Santa Fe NM and Denver CO. There will be a strong food justice theme to this trip, as the Reno and Denver concerts are benefits for local food banks, and we will be performing and I will present a keynote speech at the Feeding America Western Region Food Bank Conference in Tucson. (Sorry -- this is a private event for Conference attendees, but our Friday 10/7 show in Tubac is nearby and promises to be a beautiful evening.)

Given the food justice theme of our upcoming activities, I wanted to share some lyrics with you. It was actually after reading [A:http://blog.whyhunger.org/2011/07/from-air-jordans-to-food-justice|this reflection] from a young activist that inspired me to write them down, versus just sing them. The song below is pretty new, and we're still working the kinks out in performance, but I'd love to hear your thoughts..

Feed Your Baby

worry worry work and cry

full warm breast goes limp and dry

wilted leaves still priced too high

too hard to feed my baby

city shut down the B84

was our only good ride to the grocery store

paycheck goes to the glucose strip

patience goes to the 95 minute bus trip

30 hour week -- I wish they'd give me more

and I wonder what it's all for

when I can't feed my baby no more

Granma grew her yams in the yard

in the Carib sun chile it's not so hard

but she traded that sun for the cold and the cash

strong hands picking up office trash

you never dig dirt with a new green card

but her fingers still ache for the yard

now that feeding her baby's so hard

junk food minefield on the tv

dinnertime battle him against me

change the channel try not to see

starvation

there's still starvation

in the 21st century

worry worry work and cry

full warm breast goes limp and dry

wilted leaves still priced too high

too hard to feed my baby

red raw fingers fill the sack

raid the trailers send them back

silos rotting still I lack

enough to feed my baby

its tough to feed my baby

Thanks for listening!

Jen

here and back out again..
2011-09-04

Hello all!

Writing here from the peaceful shores of Lake George, NY, yet my mind is swimming. And not just from the waters of Irene that we escaped safely on tour in Vermont last Sunday, but from vivid images of far away, from the West Bank, Zimbabwe, Harlem..

I am now making plans for a fall Trio tour in the southwest, including an Oakland CA house concert benefit for the [A:http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org|Jenin Freedom Theatre], at the Jenin refugee camp on the West Bank. I've known about the Theatre for years thanks to activist and old friend Dinky Romilly, but am just now taking the time to learn more about their mission, joys and tragedies in preparation for [A:http:///www.brownpapertickets.com/event/197078|our concert] on Friday, September 30th . In my own artistic and political journey of the past 10 turbulent years, I have come to realize that it is through art - full of illusion and fantasy as it may be - that I can most effectively and fearlessly pursue the truth. Jenin affirms that idea; knowing that the path to truth, peace, reconciliation and social, even economic development is best laid by the processes of creative expression and collaboration upon which art depends. Our policy makers and budget cutters might dismiss art as a trivial luxury to be funded only in flush times, while others terrified by art's positive power go so far as to murder its makers, as unknown extremists did with Jenin's founder, [A:http://youtu.be/0gYcuWbdYlo|Juliano Mer-Khamis], earlier this year.

I've been privileged to meet other artists bravely stirring up dialogue and raw beauty in the face of great adversity. In 1991, under the then relatively benign government of Robert Mugabe, my fellow student travelers and I watched [A:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/12/david-smith-cont-mhlanga|Cont Mhlanga's] Amakhosi Theater perform a raggedly powerful piece of theatrical commentary on conditions in a still prosperous Zimbabwe. Twenty years later, Mhlanga is still committed to that path, after repeated arrests and harassment and in the face of the near collapse of Zimbabwe's economy and nation. "Politics and art are twins", he has said. ve. Yet what affected me most about the work that Mhlanga facilitated in '91 was the critical inquiry and dance of ideas embodied in the work. It was a dynamic process of collaborative truth-seeking, rather than a set exposition of some ideological certainty.

Closer to home, along the peaceful and prosperous streets of Harlem, NYC; my old friend [A:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/theater/classical-theater-of-harlem-to-reopen-with-henry-v.html?_r=4|Ty Jones] and [A:http://www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org|The Classical Theatre of Harlem] are carrying on amid our own American sort of adversity, that of a grassroots neighborhood cultural institution striving to survive and thrive. As Mhlanga says "You can't get more political than Shakespeare," and the trademark of The Classical Theatre of Harlem is to make works that are hundreds, even thousands of years old alive and relevant to today's questions and struggles. This weekend offers the final shows of CTH's new production of "Henry V," which I managed to catch just before leaving for our latest tour. See it! (Ty informed me that promotional code HENRYCTH entered on [A:http://www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org|the site] will get you a 50% discount -- that's a $24 ticket for theater like none you've seen before.)

For my own part, we are just returning from a three week tour playing by the rivers, lakes and seaside of New England and Atlantic Canada. It was lovely, though we did see some of the storm devastation in Vermont up close and will be following the news of the recovery there. Our hearts are especially with the town of Stockbridge, site of Tweed River Music Festival where we played August 14th, which was one of the 13 towns totally cut off by the flooding from Hurricane Irene; as well as with Waitsfield where we played August 27th on the eve of the storm.

As I finish writing this I am back in Brooklyn, where we are looking forward to playing on September 10th at our dear neighborhood [A:http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com|Barbes]. Also on that weekend we are journeying upstate to Rome NY for a show on September 9th, and then will take part in a September 11th afternoon benefit for the The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education Center at World Café Live in Philly.

Please see below for information on these dates and a sneak peak at our upcoming tours in the midsouth and southwest..

Thanks for listening!

Jen

Jen Chapin Trio in PA, then New England and Eastern Canada: VT, MA, RI, ME, NB and NS..
2011-08-01

Thank you thank you thank you! To all of you who attended or sent kind wishes about our recent shows, especially the little one at Barbes in Brooklyn on July 17th. For some reason it meant a lot to me to pack that little place, and to have so many old friends and new ones in the house. We'll be back there on Saturday, September 10th!

I don't have anything illuminating to say about the current political messes, but I am compelled to share this recent [A:http://www.truth-out.org/new-court-filing-reveals-how-2004-ohio-presidential-election-was-hacked/1311603015|under-the-radar article] about the hacking of the 2004 election results in Ohio, if only because it was the topic of my 2006 song and video, "Election Day" (here on this site, and on youtube -- "Election Day" was on my 2006 album Ready and the video, directed poignantly by Kate Chumley, was included on my 2008 CD/DVD Light of Mine.) Oh, and I guess because it deals with the very fiber and integrity of our democracy..

This weekend we embark upon a 3 week trip north to multiple spots in Vermont, the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge MA (check out the live webcast stream of the show at [A:http://concertwindow.com|concertwindow.com]), One Longfellow Square in Portland ME, then two shows each in gorgeous New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.

(a sneak peek at our fall dates in Rome NY, Weyer's Cave VA, Ferdinand IN, Thomas WV, Reno NV, Los Angeles, Tucson AZ, Sante Fe NM, and Denver CO is available at www.jenchapin.com. Yes I'm tired just thinking about it..)

Thanks so much for listening,

2011-07-18

What a weekend! Thanks so much to all of you who came to Saturday's concert remembering my dad in Huntington, Long Island; and to the standging room crowd at our friendly neighborhood Barbés in Brooklyn last night. That show was the most fun I've had in a while!

Next weekend takes us north a bit to Westchester County, NY, for a debut show at the [A:http://www.watercolorcafe.net|Watercolor Café] on Sunday, July 24th. Then back down to a place that has treated us so kindly in the past, though it's been some years - [A:http://www.chaplinsmusiccafe.com|Chaplin's] in Spring City PA on Friday August 5th.

Here's the sketch of our New England/Eastern Canada August tour so far.

F. 8/12: Burlington VT

Su. 8/14: Stockbridge VT

Tu. 8/16: Cambridge MA

F. 8/19: (radio & TV) Portsmouth NH and Portland ME

S. 8/20: St. Andrews NB

Su. 8/21: Riverport NS

M. 8/22: Riverport NS

Th. 8/25: Hampton NB

F. 8/26: Portland ME

S. 8/28: Montpelier VT

See "schedule" for details.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

Good stuff coming up..
2011-07-11

Hey everyone,

When so much of this musician's life involves epic road trips, it's so nice to do a little neighborhood gig. Next Sunday July 17th will be our first time performing at [A:http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com|Barbés] in Brooklyn, and if we can rally a nice crowd it won't be our last time at this very special listening room.

Saturday July 16th marks the 30th year since my dad Harry passed away way too soon at age 38, and we are doing another sort of homecoming to mark the occasion and honor the great hunger-fighting work of [A:http://www.licares.org|Long Island Cares] with a big free outdoor Chapin Family Concert in my childhood home of Huntington NY.

The following weekend takes us north a bit to Westchester County, NY, for a debut show at the Watercolor Café on Sunday, July 24th. Then back down to a place that has treated us so kindly in the past, though it's been some years - Chaplin's in Spring City PA on Friday August 5th.

The epic road trips resume on August 12th with our New England and Eastern Canada tour! See "schedule" for details.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

2011-06-21

Hey all!

We had a lovely weekend! Saturday was a sold-out house concert benefit for our local school PS9, also featuring our friend Andy Friedman. On Sunday we played a set at the Clearwater Festival and joined other family and friends for the "Generations" closing concert. You can see my performance of "Let it Show," with support from my uncle Tom Chapin on [A:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR7QSTjyoWg|YouTube].

Next up in July:

Saturday 7/16 Harry Chapin Memorial/Family Concert, Huntington NY

Sunday 7/17 [A:http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com|Barbes, Brooklyn NY]

We've just added August 16th at the legendary [A:http://www.passim.org|Club Passim] in Cambridge MA as well as August 26th at [A:http://www.onelongfellowsquare.com|One Longfellow Square] in Portland, and are poking around in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to fill in the rest of late August. I'd love to hear from all you up north about your ideas and suggestions for what we hope to become an annual summer tradition.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

Summer!
2011-05-31

Hey all!

Next up in June and July:

Saturday 6/18 [A:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/137575|House Concert Brooklyn NY]

Sunday 6/19 [A:http://www.clearwater.org/festival/index.html|Clearwater Festival, Croton NY]

Saturday 7/16 Harry Chapin Memorial/Family Concert, Huntington NY

Sunday 7/17 [A:http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com|Barbes, Brooklyn NY]

Thanks for listening!

Jen

May band shows
2011-04-23

We are just back from our wonderful whirlwind midwest tour, and this was the first morning sleeping past 6 am in some days (thanks to Grandma waking up with the boys)but my sleep was interupted by anticipation of our upcoming trifecta of local Jen Chapin Band gigs --

Friday, May 20th: Brooklyn NY -- [A:http://gchmusic.org|Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor] Saturday, May 21st: Park Ridge NJ -- [A:http://www.cafeacoustic.org|Acoustic Cafe] Concert Series

Sunday, May 22nd: NY NY - [A:http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com|Rockwood Music Hall]

We'd love to see you!

Jen

last minute tour date added: 4/19 in Goshen, IN
2011-04-17

We're on the homestretch of a whirlwind midwest tour, and one more date has just been confirmed for Tuesday April 19th in [A:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123700821040612| Goshen IN.]

Then we're on to Columbus on Wednesday April 20th and Cleveland on Thursday April 21st. Everyone has been wonderful so far. Thanks so much!

Jen

hitting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa!
2011-03-18

Midwest! Thanks to those of you who responded with ideas for our April tour. We have now added dates in [A:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=187804141257621|Indianapolis (Thursday, April 14th)] and Columbus (Wednesday, April 20th) to make it a very active week. I'll probably be filling in a few more live radio appearances as well in addition to our [A:http://www.iowapublicradio.org/programSpecific.php?typeId=20|Iowa Public Radio taping in Iowa City on April 15th]. We'll see if these young boys of ours maintain their road warrior status - lots of 5 to 6 hour drives on this one.. Please see "schedule" for the full scoop on these and other dates. And yes, we are taking babysitting offers and suggestions! And song requests..

Thanks for listening!

Jen

[A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

Saturday, March 12th at Southpaw
2011-03-06

Hi everyone!

Some new information just in about our show this Saturday, March 12th at [A:http://www.spsounds.com|Southpaw] in Brooklyn. The short story is: the early bird gets the worm.. [A:http://www.buffalotrace.com|Buffalo Trace Distillery] is sponsoring the show and will be giving away free bourbon until they run out. So if you can come out and maintain composure in the face of such bounty, get there when doors open at 7 pm! And let me know you are coming with a reply to this email - I will put aside 20 copies of my new EP "Five Songs" to give away for those who reserve with me now.

Here's the rest of the information on the show, which will be celebrating the release of my friend [A:http://www.andyfriedman.net|Andy Friedman's Laserbeams and Dreams], and also featuring [A:http://asthmatickitty.com/the-welcome-wagon|The Welcome Wagon] and

[A:http://www.sessionamericana.com|Session Americana]. Andy's album is powerful, earthy and smart, and his band features the marvelous [A:http://www.davidgoodrich.com|David "Goody" Goodrich] on guitar and yes, [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] on bass. We're playing first at 7:30 pm, so yes, come early!

Aside from all the music unfolding throughout the evening, this will be my first full band NYC show in more than a year and a sort of CD release party for me as well, so it's going to be a special night of friends and tunes. Aside from Stephan and [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie], the band will include the great [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman] on guitar and [A:http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000973034697|Dan Rieser] on drums. Speaking of Dan, he was one of many musicians/friends featured briefly in an amazing movie we just viewed the other night. Entitled [A:http://www.lifesupportmusic.org|"LIFE.SUPPORT.MUSIC"] and created by Eric Daniel Metzgar, it tells the tale of the great guitarist and songwriter [A:http://www.jasoncriglermusic.com|Jason Crigler] and his brave family as they fought for his miraculous recovery from a catastrophic brain hemorrhage. The film is highly recommended both as a deeply inspiring story and a fine piece of art.

Midwest! Thanks to those of you who responded with ideas for our April tour. We have now added dates in Indianapolis (Thursday, April 14th) and Columbus (Wednesday, April 20th) to make it a very active week. I'll probably be filling in a few more live radio appearances as well. We'll see if these young boys of ours keep up their road warrior status - lots of 5 to 6 hour drives on this one.. Please see "schedule" for the full scoop on these and other dates.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

PS - Stephan just got an email from a fan of his album [A:http://www.sunnysiderecords.com/release_detail.php?releaseID=492|Reclamation] who mentioned that he selected the album for his "'record club', kind of like a book club, but with music".. Isn't that a great idea? Food for thought..

March and April
2011-02-11

Hi everyone!

March! Ok, we're not there yet, but looking forward to it. On Saturday March 12th will be a big show at Brooklyn's [A:http://spsounds.com/|Southpaw], celebrating the release of my friend [A:http://www.andyfriedman.net|Andy Friedman's Laserbeams and Dreams], and also featuring [A:http://asthmatickitty.com/the-welcome-wagon|The Welcome Wagon] and

[A:http://www.sessionamericana.com|Session Americana]. We're playing first at 8 pm. For those of you who haven't been to Southpaw before, it's a cool club on a block full of top-notch restaurants and fun boutiques, so come early and make a day and dinner of it, before a night of great music. Andy's album is powerful, and his band features the marvelous David "Goody" Goodrich on guitar and yes, Stephan Crump on bass. We will have the full band on this one, as featured on my new EP "Five Songs," which will be on hand that evening live, and in compact disc and download sticker forms. In another twist, [A:http://www.buffalotrace.com|Buffalo Trace bourbon] is sponsoring the evening, and will supply free drinks while supplies last -- so get there when the doors open at 7!

I have no shows in this month of February, but wanted to take this opportunity to bring your attention to two friends of mine who are powerhouse musical institutions here in NYC and are most often performing in town. [A:http://www.kjdenhert.com/|KJ Denhert ] and her serious and super fun working band can be found most Sundays at [A:http://www.smokejazz.com/|Smoke] uptown and alternate Saturdays at the [A:http://www.55bar.com|55 Bar] in Greenwich Village, where they have been tearing it up for much of the last decade.

Then there is [A:http://www.jimcampilongo.com|Jim Campilongo], rocking every Monday night at the Living Room on the Lower East Side from 10 - midnight. His electric Trio features our own Stephan Crump on acoustic bass as well as the great Tony Mason on drums.

Midwest! In April we're coming your way on tour, hitting some of our old favorite spots like Indianapolis, Davenport and Des Moines, IA; and Lisbon, and Columbus and Cleveland, OH. I'll keep you posted and please do the same!

Thanks for listening,

Jen

Happy New Year
2010-12-31

Hey All -- lots of good things in the works for 2011 -- a new album (or at least the 1st half of one, which we expect to finish in January), tours in the midwest, northeast and southwest, and then somewhere in there some new tunes..

In the meantime, Brooklyn is the place to be for the rest of the winter -- we are hosting and performing at benefit house concerts in January and March, and will have some other dates to announce soon for March as well.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

2010-12-10

Hello everyone!

We're giving our last show of the year this Sunday afternoon in Ossining NY. It's a free show, with donations being collected for the [A:http://www.ossiningfoodpantry.org|Ossining Food Pantry]

This is the season of too much and too many: too much to do, too many family obligations; too much rich food, too many parties. The fact that most of us in the West have too much is an ugly juxtaposition with the reality that too many of us don't have enough. When part of the stress of Christmas shopping is buying gifts for those who already have too much, it can be a relief -- let alone a spiritual return to the true meaning of the season -- to give donations instead. I know many of you are already committed to wonderful charities of your own, and here we return to the theme of "too much!" -- there is a rich bounty of great organizations doing effective work for those in need. But here are a few of the groups that I have been involved with and can vouch for as worthy recipients of your holiday dollar..

[A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger] is a leader in building the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.

[A:http://brooklynfoodcoalition.ning.com|Brooklyn Food Coalition] is a grassroots partnership of groups and individuals striving to give effective voice to all those who live or work in Brooklyn and wish to achieve a just and sustainable system for tasty, healthy, and affordable food.

[A:http://www.licares.org|Long Island Cares] provides emergency food where and when it is needed, sponsors programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and educates the general public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island.

[A:http://www.harrychapinfoundation.org|Harry Chapin Foundation] The mission of the Harry Chapin Foundation is to support organizations that have demonstrated their ability to dramatically improve the lives and livelihood of people by helping them to become self-sufficient.

[A:http://www.smallplanetfund.org|Small Planet Fund] works to: Ensure that access to safe and nutritious foods is a human right; celebrate and safeguard local traditions, rural communities, family farmers, and indigenous knowledge; promote farming practices that foster healthy workers, communities, and environment; defend gender equality and women's rights as essential to ending hunger; and evolve capitalism to further the social good.

[A:http://capwiz.com/oashf/issues/alert/?alertid=20626501&amp;queueid=[capwiz:queue_id|Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks] The mission of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks is to assist Ohio's 12 Feeding America Foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need & to pursue areas of common interest.

__________________

Thanks so much to all of you who joined as "kickstarter" backers of our new recording project! We were fully funded, with $10 to spare. You can read [A:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1209386521/1-2-the-album-written-lets-hear-how-it-sounds-so-f|updates] at kickstarter.com, but the short story is that we are working hard (amidst the aforementioned bounty of holiday festivity and events) to get a shiny new EP out to you in the new year. At which point I still gotta write the rest of the album..

Happy Holidays! And thanks for listening,

Jen

PS tour plans are taking shape for April in the midwest, August in New England and Eastern Canada, and October in the Southwest! Please reply here with any questions and suggestions, and I'll have more information soon..

Jen Chapin new album in the works, Trio on Long Island and NYC
2010-11-17

Hello everybody!

It was very gratifying to receive such a great outpouring of support in the first 24 hours of announcing my new recording project. Thank you! Thank you!

For those of you just tuning in, here's the scoop, as outlined on [A:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1209386521/1-2-the-album-written-lets-hear-how-it-sounds-so-f|kickstarter.com]:

What: A new Jen Chapin album! Or at least the first half..

Songs of ambition (and the lack thereof), privilege (ditto), anger, affection, gratitude, exhaustion, and humility. In short, of family. We'll record the songs "Go Away", "Don't Talk", "Reckoning", "Paris", and "Spare Love (Not Fair)".

Who: Jen Chapin, Stephan Crump (bassist/co-producer/recording and mixing engineer), Jamie Fox (guitar), Liberty Ellman (guitar) and Dan Rieser (drums). Maceo and Van Crump (pictured above, with their parents Stephan and Jen) will pop in for inspiration, distraction and sabotage.

Where: here at the super-pro home studio in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

When: November 20th and 22nd. Then we go to Memphis to eat turkey.

How: That's where you come in. The funds raised here will pay the band, cover some mixing and mastering, and print up CDs and download cards for you. There are still tunes to write and a full album to record, but I wanted to see how things were sounding so far, and get a gauge on what sort of tangible interest there is out there in a new album for 2011.

We have a week left to reach our fundraising goal - it's an all-or-nothing thing, so the project needs to be fully funded in order for any money to change hands. It would be very cool to have an even larger number of $10 supporters, so that I can get the new music out to a lot of you asap. Of course there are also many other interesting rewards offered to supporters: songwriting coaching, concert ticket packages, house concerts and even a song..

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1209386521/1-2-the-album-written-lets-hear-how-it-sounds-so-f.

In other news, we've coming out on Thursday 11/18 to my homeland of the North Shore, Long Island to play at what I'm told is a very special intimate little place, [A:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olives-by-the-Sea/121404561219523|Olives by the Sea] in Sea Cliff. Then, on the afternoon of Saturday 11/21 is a once-in-a-lifetime convergence of 2nd generation performers doing the songs with which their parents made history in Greenwich Village, NYC. This is a special benefit for WhyHunger during our [A:http://www.whyhunger.org/Hungerthon2010|Hungerthon] season of events, at the City Winery, to be filmed for a forthcoming documentary! Come on down..

Thanks for listening, and everything!

Jen

Big News
2010-11-05

Hey everyone -- OK, so maybe it's not that major, but I have five new songs and we are going to record them later this month. I'm asking for your help. [A:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1209386521/1-2-the-album-written-lets-hear-how-it-sounds-so-f|Check out the scoop here!]

Thanks for listening!

Jen

PS -- also, some cool gigs coming up around New York City, north and east.. please see "schedule"

on tour in VA, NC and MD..
2010-09-27

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give you all an update on our Trio tour next week, having added dates in Charlotte NC and Baltimore MD to the existing shows in Blacksburg VA, Southport NC, Salisbury NC and Sanford NC. Please see below for all the details. We're excited to head south for fall!

Check it out! My man [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] is on fire. His new album with Rosetta Trio (featuring [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman] ) has been earning high accolades from [A:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127987395&amp;ft=1&amp;f=1039|NPR], The New Yorker, Downbeat and [A:http://jazztimes.com/articles/26041-string-theories-stephan-crump|Jazztimes] , among others. Then, a few weeks ago, Stephan's show at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC was reviewed by the [A:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/arts/music/11rosetta.html?_r=1&amp;scp=1&amp;sq=Rosetta%20Trio&amp;st=cse|NYTimes] If you want to check out the band for yourself, they will be playing at the [A:http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com|Cornelia Street Café] in NYC on November 4th, and also hitting the road around the country this fall and next spring.

A few other things.. Now that one out of seven (yes, that's 1 of 7) Americans are living in poverty, there is an even greater need to help our neighbors however we can. Here are two things you can do today (and time is of the essence) that don't cost a cent. The first is to [A:http://nycforcnr.org|call your representatives] today to express support for passage of the House version of Child Nutrition Reauthorization (no to the Senate version!), which will greatly improve access to and quality of food in schools. This issue is close to my heart with our son Maceo attending kindergarten at our neighborhood public school, where the majority of kids receive and depend on free school lunch. [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger] and the [A:http://www.brooklynfoodcoalition.org|Brooklyn Food Coalition], two wonderful organizations I volunteer with, have both been strong advocates on the issue. The current legislation expires September 30th, so Congress will be acting in the next day or two. Please call today -- it makes a difference!

It would be a lot easier for me if I skipped weighing in on this next issue, but as a New Yorker, an American, and one who lost a dear childhood friend, [A:http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126476&amp;page=1|Kristy Irvine Ryan], in the World Trade Center, I must take a moment to speak out in strong support of [A:http://blog.park51.org|Park51]. Park51 is the recreation, cultural, community and worship center, including a prayer space and 9/11 memorial, being planned in lower Manhattan which has received much attention in recent months.

Many of us who yearn for peace have bemoaned the lack of moderate Muslim voices and institutions cutting through the noise, and here we have just that - a Sufi (a peaceful, moderate, and mystical strain of Islam that produces some of the world's most jubilant and beautiful music, I might add) Imam, [A:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feisal_Abdul_Rauf|Feisal Abdul Rauf], reaching out for interfaith dialogue and peaceful activism through the founding of the center. This is what we need: Continued efforts toward understanding and healing and a commitment to facts, not rumors; Strong and vibrant institutions where moderate Muslims can worship and interact with those of other faiths; and a statement that Americans understand the difference between the majority of 1 Billion Muslims who just want to worship in peace, and the tiny fraction who are extremists.

Here's what we don't need: Opportunists from politics and the media manipulating the public with misinformation and fear; and a message being sent to extremists that we are at war with all of Islam, or, as a Taliban operative stated: "By preventing this mosque from being built, America is doing us a big favor. It's providing us with more recruits, donations, and popular support." We don't need that. We are smarter than that.

In other big news of 2010 -- I've finally joined Facebook. Some of you know that there is another Jen Chapin page up there that some kind person made by cutting and pasting from wikipedia, but I just set mine up last weekend. It's a work in progress, so please let me know if you have any suggestions or requests with what I should do with the durn thing.

Thanks for listening!

heading down south for fall..
2010-09-13

We have just returned from an epic trip up north to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and New England, and though exhausted, I can't wait to do it again next August. There were oysters and pizza (there is always pizza!), all day drives and good walks, playgrounds and beer (is there always beer?), campfires, palatial timber homes, hotels rooms and funky old inns. The wild Atlantic! Busy harbors and quiet lakes. Goats and mud puddles. And as always, audiences that are kind and expressive! Thank you to all the kind hosts and promoters, listeners and supporters.

Later this month we'll have a shorter trip down south to Blacksburg, Virginia; Charlotte, Southport, Salisbury and Sanford, North Carolina, and Baltimore MD. Please see "schedule" for more information on confirmed dates.

OK, so I've finally joined Facebook. But that doesn't mean I know how to post a link for you! There is another Jen Chapin page up there that some kind person made by cutting and pasting from wikipedia, but mine has the black and white photo.

Check it out! My man [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump's] show at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC last week was reviewed by the [A:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/arts/music/11rosetta.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Rosetta%20Trio&st=cse|NYTimes].

See you soon! Thanks for listening.

Jen

heading north, and other good stuff
2010-08-13

Thanks so much to all of you who have recently signed up for this Band Letter. And of course to those of you who have been signed up for years and years (..first started passing that clipboard in 1995 at the Bitter End. Whoa.) And everyone in between!

Our recent Brooklyn house concert benefit for [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WhyHunger] was a steamy night of much musical fun and good friends, not to mention excellent wine from [A:http://www.tribecawine.com|Tribeca Wine Merchants], Savory Summer Stew (sounds cooler than chili, right? That was the idea at least) and peaches and ice cream. Thanks to all of you who came or sent your kind wishes. We plan to keep the house concerts going, so stay tuned for news of the next one in the fall.

Oh, and I'm sorry about that rained-out (though it never really did rain) show in Huntington, NY. Maybe next year?

I just saw this [A:http://bigbutterandeggman.blogspot.com/2010/08/jazz-singing-gets-amazing-rebecca.html|very nice essay] from writer Will Layman discussing my work in the company of the lovely and impeccably tasteful [A:http://www.rebeccamartin.com|Rebecca Martin]. Check it out!

In other news, the version I did a few years back of my parents' "Cat's in the Cradle" has recently been re-released on [A:http://www.amazon.com/Song-My-Father-Various/dp/B003B56R12/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1281583573&sr=1-2|CD] and for download (itunes). What can I say? It's an amazing song.

I'm finalizing all the details of our hardworking late summer tour to New England, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - Jen Chapin Trio, plus Maceo and Van Crump. Please see the schedule page for details. I'm still lining up those babysitters. It's been quite a while since we've been north, and in the case of New Brunswick, this will be a first time visit. Please spread the word! And thanks so much for listening.

Jen

summer shows
2010-06-17

in July we're dipping into Ohio and Pennsylvania, then playing an outdoor festival in Huntington Long Island and an indoor intimate house concert benefit in Brooklyn. August will bring us up to New England and Canada! There a still a few dates we could fill up north if you are interested in hosting a house concert or have any other suggestions.. Thank you for listening! [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|Jen]

effective aid groups in Haiti
2010-01-15

(From Food First)

Not all aid is equal as we all learned from the fiasco in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Haiti's January 12 earthquake has left thousands dead. Many more need urgent medical attention. Here is a short list of organizations that Food First is confident can address both urgent medical needs and prevent a deepening hunger crisis. Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders have had a strong presence in Haiti prior to the quake. They are in a position to implement and advise on urgent medical care. Donations of cash are the best way to help meet the urgent needs in a timely manner.

With many Haitians already malnourished prior to this devastating earthquake, food is also urgently needed. Farmers in other parts of the country are growing food that can be purchased and given to those in and around Port-au-Prince. Both Grassroots International and their Haitian Partners and Haiti Action can help make such people to people exchanges possible.

Partners in Health -- Founded by Dr. Paul Farmer, this nonprofit health delivery program has served Haiti's poor since 1987. To donate for earthquake relief, go to: https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=homepage

In an urgent email from Port-au-Prince, Louise Ivers, Partners in Health clinical director in Haiti, appealed for assistance from her colleagues in the Central Plateau: "Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS... Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us."

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) -- Doctors Without Borders was working in Haiti prior to the quake with a staff of 800. Here is a report on January 13, 2009 with a link to their donation page.

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=4148&cat=field-news

Haiti Action -- Haiti's grassroots movement - including labor unions, women's groups, educators, human rights activists, support committees for prisoners and agricultural cooperatives - will attempt to funnel needed aid to those most hit by the earthquake. Grassroots organizers are doing what they can with the most limited of funds to make a difference. Please take this opportunity to lend them your support: http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/1_12_10.html

Grassroots International -- Long time Food First partner Grassroots International has a long history of working with organizations on the ground in Haiti. Grassroots has committed to the extent possible to, "provide cash to our partners to make local purchases of the items they most need and to obtain food from farmers not hit by the disaster."

http://www.grassrootsonline.org/news/blog/all-hands-responding-haiti-emergency

and from Laura Flanders, GRITtv

If you'd like to donate to help the relief efforts, here's a list via Like a Whisper <http://likeawhisper.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/earthquake-hits-haiti-places-to-donate/> :

Americares <http://www.americares.org/newsroom/news/deadly-earthquake-strikes-haiti-2010.html> - providing health care materials and relief aid via partners on the ground, donate $

Direct relief <http://directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2010/EarthquakeHaiti.aspx> en route to Haiti, give $$

Doctors without Borders <http://doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=4148&amp;cat=field-news> - has already set up emergency relief clinics on the ground, give $$ (may need supplies later as well)

Haiti Emergency Relief Fund <http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html> - has been working on social, political, and human rights issues in Haiti for 6 years, asking: Donate $$

Mercy Corp <http://mercycorps.org/haiti> - putting together aid packages, sending ppl to help soon give $$ or volunteer

Oxfam <http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/emergencies/haiti-earthquake.html> - you can donate over the phone @ 0300 200 1999, at any Oxfam shop, or online

Partners in Health <http://www.pih.org/home.html> - has clinics in Haiti, asking for medical supplies: Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages.

Red Cross <http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=a8712721ea326210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD> has already allotted funds to relief effort; you can give money via link or text "Haiti" to #90999 to give $10; NO volunteer opportunities @ this time

Save the Children <http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/latin-america-caribbean/haiti.html> emergency team already in Haiti give $ or volunteer

ShelterBox <http://www.shelterbox.org/news.php?id=229> - has deployed a response team, needs donations

UNICEF <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti_52423.html> - emergency teams already in Haiti give $ or volunteer

World Vision <http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&amp;item=1958776&amp;section=10324&amp;go=item&amp;&amp;daniel_prod_ses=ZG8E9EC50593774FDD7A23B4154D062E22F98F5A5CBF0059C4096569828301EFF6D18DB83540B9ACC3EB81B808DEC5DBC4905CD44C842> - has existing Christian based children's services in Haiti asking: donate $$, sponsor a child, pray for Haiti

Yele <http://www.yele.org/action/index.html> - the site has crashed due to so much interest in helping out but you can still donate $5 by texting the word YELE to 501501 to donate $5 from your cellphone.

even more information at

http://whyhunger.org/news-and-alerts/why-reporter/992-the-crisis-in-haiti.html

Happy New Year
2010-01-03

Hey there -- we're working on some midwest tour plans for April. In the meantime, gotta write some new tunes! After the youngins' get to bed..

Jen

all CDs on sale for the holidays.. $10
2009-12-15

Hey all -- Working on good plans and new tunes for 2010. Thanks so much for listening!

Jen

[A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

The fall
2009-09-30

Hi there,

It's worked out that the touring schedule will take the Jen Chapin Trio to four cities in upstate NY -- Utica, Albany, Syracuse and Rochester -- this fall, before we return home to Brooklyn for a free show at the BAM Cafe Live on Saturday, December 5th. Please check the schedule page for details.

I thought I should let you all know that Stephan and I have just welcomed boy #2 to our family. His name is Van Wallace Crump and he was born at home in Brooklyn on Friday September 11th. All is well and our four year old Maceo is being a wonderful big brother.

Baby Van is 2 1/2 weeks old now and nursing every few hours, so he will be along for the upstate rides. The question is, do we take Maceo out of his beloved pre-kindergarden class for a day or two, thereby maintaining his road warrior status and keeping the family (plus Uncle Fox) together? Serious questions, folks.

On other serious questions, please indulge me as I give three cheers for the safety and sanity (let alone serenity) of [A:http://www.choicesinchildbirth.org/Babyhome.htm|homebirth]. It's a wonderful option to have, and to support that choice we'll be out at our neighborhood Prospect Park on October 3rd at the [A:http://nycmidwives.org/?PageID=57|Miles for Midwives Benefit Run/Walk]. (As good as I feel though, don't think I'll be covering that 5K myself...)

We've gotten some nice feedback for my latest CD (actually it's a "SACD") from Chesky Records, ReVisions: Songs of Stevie Wonder. The [A:http://cahlsjukejoint.blogspot.com/2009/09/jen-chapin-revisions-songs-of-stevie.html|latest blog review] I've seen notes: "Backed by bassist Stephan Crump and saxophonist Chris Cheek, Chapin's jazzy renditions are slow and stunning." Well they're not all slow, but I'll take the "stunning"! The album is available from the store here and online retailers.

Thanks for reading, and listening!

Jen

Van and Bruce and Stevie
2009-09-22

Hey everyone,

Van will be along for the ride down to the Jersey shore next weekend as I join a panel discussion and do some songs with Stephan at [A:http://www.cpe.vt.edu/glorydays/index.html|"Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium"]. Check out the gigs listing for this and other fall shows in the NYC and upstate NY area, concluding on December 5th with a special free show back in Brooklyn at BAM Café Live.

Please indulge me as I give three cheers for the safety and sanity (let alone serenity) of [A:http://www.choicesinchildbirth.org/Babyhome.htm|homebirth]. It's a wonderful option to have, and to support that choice we'll be out at our neighborhood Prospect Park on October 3rd at the [A:http://nycmidwives.org/?PageID=57|Miles for Midwives Benefit Run/Walk]. (As good as I feel though, don't think I'll be covering that 5K myself...)

Pre-schooler and baby and all, I'm going to be working on some Trio tour plans for 2010, and hope we will come to your neighborhood soon. Thanks for reading, and listening!

Jen

2009-08-16

Hello everyone!

I'm happy to announce that I have a new album, entitled ReVisions: Songs

of Stevie Wonder. Happy, but also a bit conflicted, as I had expected that my

next release would be made up of my own new songs rather then more beloved

classics from the past. But an opportunity arose to make this album, thanks

to the good people at [A:http://www.chesky.com|Chesky Records], so here it is.

ReVisions was produced by David Chesky and also features [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] on

acoustic bass and [A:http://www.chrischeek.net|Chris Cheek] on tenor, soprano and baritone saxophones.

ReVisions was recorded in SACD audiophile format, and has already recieved some high marks for its sound: "Jen Chapin's 12 covers of these wondrous songs will light up your hi-fi. Backed by just acoustic bass and saxophone Chapin reimagines these familiar tunes and makes them new again. The sound is thrillingly vivid and pure.. Chapin's take on Stevie is a wonder." ([A:http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-10300777-47.html?tag=mncol;posts|Steve Guttenberg, CNET News])

Some notes:

Over the past forty years, Stevie Wonder has written the soundtrack for this very moment in history. "Master Blaster (Jammin)", illuminates 2008's election night festivities around the world and the promise and redemption that 2009's inauguration holds. "Big Brother" and "Village Ghettoland" channel his outrage about the bitter truths of poverty and isolation which afflict more and more people every day. "If it's Magic," holds up our delicate hopes, "You Haven't Done Nothin'" spits out our betrayal. I had to

sing these songs again, now, in the age of Obama. * While it may seem an odd choice to perform this rich, multi-layered music as a sparse trio without chords, it made sense to me on several levels. First of all, Chris Cheek and Stephan Crump are two of my favorite musicians in the world. Then there is the trio ensemble itself; a three-legged stool where each leg has to hold strong to keep things standing. I like the trio's intimacy and the fact that it leaves nowhere to hide and everywhere to lead. And of course, these are

times where each of us in all our flaws must stand up to help each other, learn to rely on each other, maintain strength of purpose, and move forward.

We recorded live over 2 days last November at St. Peter¹s Episcopal Church

in New York City.

ReVisions is available for sale now here and at other online retailers and selected independent stores.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

Happy Spring everyone!
2009-03-21

Welcome to the site -- please stay a while. There is lots of stuff here to listen to, read, watch and buy, and please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

We're not doing much touring this year but are always open to offers and requests -- especially for our beloved house concerts. I have a downloadable set of guidelines for how to host these under "booking." Thanks so much!

Jen

Happy New Year
2009-01-15

Hello Everyone,

I must admit I am torn. On the one hand, this is going to be a quiet year for me, with a focus on home and mothering and hopefully writing a bunch of new songs. On the other hand, I am addicted to our grassroots tours, hitting the road for a week or two and seeing the country and meeting good people. So far, there is just one little trip being planned for North Carolina in late February, and lots of question marks and soul searching..

One event coming right up: I am honored to be part of a really interesting panel of diversely accomplished artist-activists here in Brooklyn this coming Saturday January 24th. Full details are on the schedule page. Thanks for checking in! I hope you stay and listen awhile.

Jen

[A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

A new song for this moment -- "Renewable" (Brooklyn was shouting from the rooftops!)
2008-11-20

Renewable

The owning of this moment

goes all around the hall

parades the streets and binds us all

invites each story to the ball

welcome to the world

Might I say I knew it?

I knew it from the start

I knew we were ready to part

with the past - to shout from the rooftops at last

open yourself up to the possibility

that we might truly be free

from a history

that tells us we should stay down

wait around for our orders

let's stand up and go

Suddenly we're grown up

we're capable and calm

but children still in spirit clear

we smile at strangers like we've never learned to fear

open yourself up to the possibility

that we might truly be free

from disdain for our dreams and reality

responsibility

to one another, to all

Open yourself up to the possibility

that we might truly be free

from a history cutting and cold

time to tear off old labels

for we are renewable now

3 more shows this year. And a surprise recording..
2008-11-11

So good be back in Brooklyn, especially when we all were shouting from the rooftops at 11:30 last Tuesday night!

We have 3 more shows for the year: 11/22 in Park Ridge NJ, 12/12 in Stony Brook (Long Island) NY, and then 12/19 around the corner in Brooklyn. Please see "schedule" for more details.

A last minute opportunity to record an album for [A:http://www.chesky.com|Chesky Records] has come up and we'll be in the studio for 2 days next week. I'll tell more about that project later, when I actually know more.

Thanks so much!

Jen

two words, for now --
2008-10-28

HOME.(nice to be here.)

[A:http://truth.voteforchange.com|VOTE.]

All the best,

Jen

Back from the UK, on to the midwest
2008-09-23

Dear Friends,

Just a week ago we returned from a wonderful (if not exactly profitable) trip to the UK. I'll try to write something up about the experience here soon, but the short story is that contrary to stereotype, the audiences were far from reserved and the food was fantastic. We had some gorgeous drives (and four ferry rides), spent time with some lovely people and had a grand old time. (Since so many of you have asked, Maceo stayed home on this one so he could attend his first day of preschool with his beloved Mimi/grandmother.)

But Maceo will be along on this upcoming 2 week tour back to the midwest, starting October 1st. For those of you in OH, IN, IL, IA, MO and KY, I hope you can make it out to one of the shows! Check "schedule" for full details.

Thanks so much,

Jen

PS Check out the webstore for CDs, water bottles, and posters.

PPS click on [A:http://www.voteforchange.com/index_obama.php?source=091008emailR|here] for a one-stop site if you still need to register to vote. Deadlines are coming soon for most states. (Yes, the site is sponsored by the Obama campaign, but of course registration is a non-partisan and patriotic act. You might have figured out which candidate I am greatly enthusiastic about..)

next 2008 tour with Rosetta Trio: England and Scotland
2008-07-29

Hello!

We're making plans for an exciting trip to the UK in September, including stops in Datchet, London, Leeds, Islay, St. Andrews (yes, the birthplace of golf!), and Edinburgh, Scotland Please see the schedule for details and feel free to write me at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com] with any questions.

Then in October it's back to some favorite spots in the midwest. The full details on that trip will be settled soon.

All my CDs (and the new CD/DVD) are available through the www.jenchapin.com secure store here. You can also order reusable water bottles (for those of you wanting an attractive and practical way to break the plastic water bottle habit) from me and a lovely poster..

Thanks so much for listening -- Jen

Western Tour
2008-07-06

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to the new site. Just added are a secure webstore with music and other goodies, new reviews (including some just coming in for the CD/DVD "Light of Mine"), an Independence Day blog entry , downloads for press, and other miscellaneous updates.

From July 9th to 19th I will be on the road out West with Jamie Fox, Liberty Ellman, Stephan Crump and our son Maceo; performing in:

7/9: Felton CA

7/10: Berkeley CA

7/11: Reno NV

7/12: Los Angeles CA

7/13: Carlsbad CA

7/16: San Diego CA

7/17: Monterey CA

7/18 & 19: Truckee CA

Full details and links to the venues are on the "schedule" page. If you are nearby or have friends and family in the area, please come hear us and/or spread the word!

Jen

(kinda) new website!
2008-07-02

Hello! Welcome to the new site. I have a new store and have added various press items throughout the site, and will be updating photos, resources for presenters and also new blog entries soon. Please let me know how things are working and looking at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

In the meantime, you can buy tickets [A:http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,3976|here] for our CD/DVD release show (Thursday July 3rd, 7 pm) at Joe's Pub, opened by a set from my lovely cousins, [A:http://www.thechapinsisters.com|The Chapin Sisters]. Shortly afterward, we'll be heading west for 2 weeks of shows in California (with a detour to Reno), accompanied by Rosetta Trio - and Maceo. Please see the schedule for details.

Thanks for listening! (and there is lots of listening to be done here on the site..)

-- Jen

NYC and a summer tour out West
2008-06-08

Hey everyone! it's been three years, but we're finally coming back to California (and Reno) this summer. Please see "gigs" for dates and details on these and other gigs, including a special CD (in my case, CD/DVD!) release celebration with my lovely cousins, [A:http://www.thechapinsisters.com|The Chapin Sisters], who have been getting a strong response to their debut, "Lake Bottom LP". Tickets are on sale [A:http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,3976|here] for our [A:http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,3976|Joe's Pub] show on Thursday July 3rd at 7 pm, so please put us into your holiday plans!

Thanks for listening! (and there is lots of listening to be done here on the site..) -- Jen

CD/DVD Release show in NYC on July 3rd, with the Chapin Sisters
2008-05-09

Hi!

Tickets are available now at [A:http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,3976|joespub.com] for the July 3rd CD/DVD release show with my wonderful cousins, [A:http://www.thechapinsisters.com|The Chapin Sisters], who are coming out with a new one of their own. In our set, we'll do selections from [A:http://www.cdbaby.com/chapinrosettatrio|"Light of Mine"] and other patriotic favorites.

You can hear these album selections here on the site -- they come up at random, or you can click around on the "songs" page.

Thanks for listening!

Jen

Light of Mine -- now available on CDbaby (and here, from paypal)
2008-04-17

Hey everyone,

I am very happy to announce the arrival of Light of Mine, a new CD/DVD with the Rosetta Trio -- featuring some classic covers, a couple new tunes of mine, and (on the DVD), many old favorites.

The CD/DVD is available now at the great website [A:http://cdbaby.com/cd/chapinrosettatrio|Cdbaby.com], where you can also listen to the first minute or so of all the songs, and I am also offering autographed copies to you all [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|here] via paypal.

Here's some info:

Light of Mine: the new double-disc CD/DVD available now

Strange days indeed: these years have brought us torture, wire-tapping, and a patriotism based on wearing lapel pins, shopping, and ignoring the constitution. Fear (or just the fear of fear) has made our thinking flat and closed and has perverted our national decision-making into something unrecognizable. We resign ourselves to powerlessness and fall into the arms of the strongman. We wait for answers to fall out of the sky. We keep our defiance safely contained to our blog screens.

Or we remember to make some noise. We reclaim our own sparkling power and responsibility, and remember to seek the truth, to protest, to create a real future individually and collectively, and to dream.

Light of Mine is 11 songs from the past 35 years that explore these notions of power and fear. The band is the critically-acclaimed "Rosetta Trio", featuring double bassist [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] and guitarists [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman]. The songs are: Backdrifts, by Radiohead, American Skin (41 Shots), by Bruce Springsteen, Starman, by David Bowie, Insatiable, by Jen Chapin, Into the Mystic, by Van Morrison, Everybody is a Star, by Sly Stone, Born in the USA, by Bruce Springsteen, Sunny Sunday, by Joni Mitchell, Nobody Told Me, by John Lennon, You Haven't Done Nothin', by Stevie Wonder, Lullabye, by Jen Chapin.

The DVD (live) performances are: Little Hours, American Skin (41 Shots), Me Be Me, Into the Mystic, Sunny Sunday, Passive People, Manchild, Nobody Told Me, Scream Laugh Cry, Strip it Bare, Go On, You Haven't Done Nothin', I Could Fall

And videos: Let it Show, Election Day, Backdrifts

Political subtexts aside -- or are they front and center? -- this album is a groovefest, a playground of spirited dialogue, passionate expression and forward momentum.

We're very excited! Please feel free to write to me with any questions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]. I'll be renovating my website soon and the tunes will be added (among other enhancements) to the jukebox there, and several are already up on [A:http://www.myspace.com/jenchapin|myspace.] In the meantime, you can order at [A:http://cdbaby.com/cd/chapinrosettatrio|Cdbaby.com] or from [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|me via paypal]

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much,

Jen

Light of Mine -- the new CD/DVD on sale here!
2008-04-03

Hey everyone,

I am very happy to announce the arrival of Light of Mine, a new CD/DVD with the Rosetta Trio -- featuring some classic covers, a couple new tunes of mine, and (on the DVD), many old favorites.

I'll be getting it around on the web and in stores in the weeks to come, but in the meantime I wanted to offer it to you all, autographed if you like. My poor web skills are preventing from providing a direct link to the paypal page, but if you click on to my recent [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|bandletter] you can access it there.

Here's some info:

Light of Mine: the new double-disc CD/DVD available now

Light of Mine is 11 songs from the past 35 years that explore these notions of power and fear. The band is the critically-acclaimed "Rosetta Trio", featuring double bassist Stephan Crump and guitarists Jamie Fox and Liberty Ellman. The songs are: Backdrifts, by Radiohead, American Skin (41 Shots), by Bruce Springsteen, Starman, by David Bowie, Insatiable, by Jen Chapin, Into the Mystic, by Van Morrison, Everybody is a Star, by Sly Stone, Born in the USA, by Bruce Springsteen, Sunny Sunday, by Joni Mitchell, Nobody Told Me, by John Lennon, You Haven't Done Nothin', by Stevie Wonder, Lullabye, by Jen Chapin.

And videos: Let it Show, Election Day, Backdrifts

Political subtexts aside -- or are they front and center? -- this album is a groovefest, a playground of spirited dialogue, passionate expression and forward momentum.

We're very excited! Please feel free to write to me with any questions at jen@jenchapin.com. I'll be renovating my website soon and the tunes will be added (among other enhancements) to the jukebox there, and several are already up on [A:http://www.myspace.com/jenchapin|myspace.] In the meantime, let me know if would like one!

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much,

Jen

coming soon to Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota..
2008-03-19

Hello there!

Early next month I'll be announcing the release of a new CD/DVD "Light of Mine" and making it available for sale to all of you. It's at the factory now but I should have it back just in time for us to have on tour next week. We have a few shows coming up in the midwest, as well as a rare appearance I'm making Monday at my old stomping grounds, Berklee College of Music in Boston. Please see "gigs" for details.

In the meantime, my blue reusable, non-leaching "find your joy and let it show" SIGG water bottle is available for purchase at [A:https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=pXsAbmOqr-7hmSJcQlE6GX4WijEa1xD-KMRu158wmuZc34Zb093HbQMcwfO&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f822cfe4b06d0ea2b248ee81f5414b61c9f6da2c79618508c|paypal.] Please [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|email me] with any questions abotu that (or anything else!]

The wonderful musician and thoughtful activist [A:http://www.rebeccamartin.com|Rebecca Martin] turned me on to this excellent short film [A:http://www.storyofstuff.org|"The Story of Stuff"]. I have my plate full these days (who doesn't? The film looks at that..) and try to limit my online time, but I am so glad I took a moment to view this powerful and engaging analysis of our consumer culture and the promising changes we can make towards sustainability and survival. Watch it with your kids! Maceo, with his 2 1/2 year old attention span, was riveted.

Our friends Frank Walker and Ramona Spooney of [A:http://www.spoonwalk.com|Spoonwalk] just shared with me a version of my tune [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin/music/icouldfall.wma|"I Could Fall (In Love with You)"] that they recorded live over the weekend and I asked it I could share it with you. A few years back I sang a few lines on Frank's benefit recording of his tune [A:http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pbsn|"Not the Only One."]

You can learn more about the greatly talented and enigmatic Jamie Fox, check out this great interview (though Jamie wishes he didn't stay "stuff" so often) from [A:http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=28500|All About Jazz]

On the topic of another talented and intriguing gentleman, here is an incisive [A:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cass-r-sunstein/the-obama-i-know_b_90034.html|article] that pretty much sums up why I am excited about Barack Obama's candidacy for president. His [A:http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hisownwords|speech] in Philadelphia yesterday was also singularly powerful. Please check it out.

I have some shows coming up which will take us all around the country and to the UK -- please see what's coming in 2008 at "gigs." Thanks for listening!

Jen

"Light of Mine" The new album from Jen Chapin & Rosetta Trio + XM Radio
2008-02-21

A new album! Plus a concert DVD. It's going off to the factory this week (finally!), and should be available in March to those of you on my mailing list and at shows. Stay tuned!

We just got word that "The Loft Session" live music hour that the Trio taped in October will debut on XM radio this month on Monday, Feb. 25th at 12noon (eastern). It will also play at (all times eastern): Monday 2/25: 9:00pm, Thursday 2/28: 3:00pm & 9:00pm, Friday 2/29: 4:00am, Saturday 3/01: 7:00pm, Monday 3/10: 1:00am.

Thanks so much,

Jen

Hey everyone
2008-01-20

Hey everyone,

Thanks to all of you who recently signed up (and to those of you who signed up years ago, and stayed!) on this list. I really appreciate your wanting to stay updated.

We're staying relatively close to home this month, but making big plans for stepping out in 2008. A new CD/DVD Light of Mine will be coming out in the spring, and I am working on tours with my recording partners the Rosetta Trio around the west coast in July, and the UK and maybe France in September. Any suggestions and assistance in these endeavors is very welcome, so don't be shy about writing me [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|here]. Rosetta Trio, by the way, is what we call the special grouping of Stephan Crump, Jamie Fox and Liberty Ellman, a unit that first recorded together for Stephan's gorgeous album [A:http://www.stephancrump|Rosetta]. You should hear them on January 27th, by the way -- I won't be singing that night, but I do recommend that you come out to NYC's 92nd Street Y for a Rosetta Trio performance of new, Brazilian themed music, presented by the [A:http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org|New York Guitar Festival].

My regular Trio (sans Mr. Ellman) will be making little trips out to Iowa and Minnesota in March, Virginia and North Carolina in April, and the midwest for a longer tour in October.

What else..? Oh yes, I've been getting some rave reviews for my very cool, non-leaching, eco-friendly, custom printed water bottle, which you can learn more about and purchase [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|here]. It's a beautiful and practical way to break the expensive and wasteful bottled water habit (most free tap water is as good or better than the stuff you buy!)

Many of you first heard my music through a wonderful "All Things Considered" review of Linger on [A:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1828979|NPR] in April of 2004. The review was written by Tom Terrell, who was known and loved by some of the most creative musicians and others in the business as someone who brought deep passion, energy and love to a varied career as a writer, promoter, DJ and all-around music enthusiast. I knew Tom a little bit ? we crossed paths at many a NYC jazz show, and shared one long, laughing lunch ? but wish I got to know him more before he died this past fall of prostate cancer. (Like all too many creative, freelancing Americans, he lacked health insurance.) The Village Voice printed a wonderful tribute, which I invite you to read [A:http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0750,tate,78591,22.html|here]. I am forever grateful to Tom for the way he helped spread the word about my music, but most of all, I am grateful for the way he loved and celebrated art in general!

Thank you,

Jen

Happy New Year
2008-01-10

If you are interested in a beautiful and practical way to break the expensive and wasteful bottled water habit (most free tap water is as good or better than the stuff you buy!) then please click [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|here]. I have some very cool, non-leaching eco-friendly bottles, custom printed with the lyric "find your joy and let it show," on sale. The bottles have been getting rave reviews from those who have already ordered them.

I am currently juggling a planned album release for the new year (probably March), and touring plans for California and Nevada in July, the UK (!) in September, and the midwest in October. Other new shows (like February 2nd in Spring City PA) are coming in all the time so please check the gigs list! As always,venue suggestions, house concert offers, and any other input is welcome!

Please feel free to check in with any other questions and suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

Thank you for listening!

Jen

Have a wonderful holiday season!
2007-12-19

I hope you all are enjoying some good mellow time with family and friends.

We're heading upstate (New York) this weekend for our last shows of the year, in Oneida on Friday the 21st and Clinton on Saturday the 22nd.

If you are interested in a beautiful and practical way to break the expensive and wasteful bottled water habit (most free tap water is as good or better than the stuff you buy!) then please click [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|here] and scroll down a bit. I have some very cool, non-leaching eco-friendly bottles, custom printed with the lyric "find your joy and let it show," on sale. The bottles have been getting rave reviews from those who have already ordered them.

A rare trip upstate will take us to [A:http://www.kalletciviccenter.org|Oneida] on December 21st and [A:http://www.CollegeStreetCafe.com|Clinton] on the 22nd. Please check out "gigs" for details.

Aside from holiday preparations and travels, I am juggling a planned album release for the new year (probably March), and touring plans for California and Nevada in July, the UK (!) in September, and the midwest in October. As always,venue suggestions, house concert offers, and any other input is welcome!

Please feel free to check in with any other questions and suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

Thank you for listening!

Jen

I'm pretty excited about these water bottles..
2007-12-08

Hey! If you are interested in a beautiful and practical way to break the expensive and wasteful bottled water habit (most tap water is as good or better!) then please click [A:http://www.bandletter.com/jenchapin|here] and scroll down a bit. I have some very cool eco-friendly bottles on sale. The music business and its requisite self-promotion leads us on many twists and turns, as does just being alive these days!

On December 8th we'll be audible in NJ and throughout the tri-state area as we do a few songs live on Pete Fornatale's show on [A:http://www.wfuv.org/programs/mixedbag.html|WFUV]. Then we're back again to New Jersey in [A:http://www.outpostintheburbs.org/concerts.html|Montclair] on December 14th with my uncles and cousins for a Chapin Family show.

A rare trip upstate will take us to [A:http://www.kalletciviccenter.org|Oneida] on December 21st and [A:http://www.CollegeStreetCafe.com|Clinton] on the 22nd. Please check out "gigs" for details.

Recordings: One of the tunes we recorded back in August is already up on [A:http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=267180906&amp;s=143441|itunes] as part of the Hard Rock Cafe's Serve2 CD to benefit [A:http://www.whyhunger.com|WHY]. Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'", featuring "The Rosetta Trio."

In other news, a little article I wrote for the [A:http://www.kidscanmakeadifference.org/Newsletter/nwf112006b.htm|"KIDS Can Make a Difference"] newsletter is online here under "thoughts/writings"

Please check back on the site for other gig updates, CD release news, etc. Please feel free to check in with any questions and suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

Thank you for listening!

Jen

December in New Jersey, on WFUV, and upstate NY
2007-11-26

Hey Everyone --

The Trio (featuring [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] on acoustic bass and [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] on guitar) is playing a good number of December Concerts, most of which happen to be in New Jersey. This coming Saturday (not Friday, as I mistakenly put on my email update) December 1st, we'll be in [A:http://www.watchungarts.org/PowerfulWomen.htm|Watchung] and Sunday, December 2nd we'll be in [A:http://www.bnaishalom.net|West Orange]. On December 8th we'll be audible in NJ and throughout the tri-state area as we do a few songs live on Pete Fornatale's show on [A:http://www.wfuv.org/programs/mixedbag.html|WFUV]. Then we're back again to [A:http://www.outpostintheburbs.org/concerts.html|Montclair] on December 14th with my uncles and cousins for a Chapin Family show.

A rare trip upstate will take us to [A:http://www.kalletciviccenter.org|Oneida] on December 21st and [A:http://www.CollegeStreetCafe.com|Clinton] on the 22nd. Please check out "gigs" for details.

In other news, a little article I wrote for the [A:http://www.kidscanmakeadifference.org/Newsletter/nwf112006b.htm|"KIDS Can Make a Difference"] newsletter is online here under "thoughts/writings"

Please check back on the site for other gig updates, CD release news, and for holiday presents (I'm hoping to have some re-usuable, recyclable "find your joy" water bottles on sale in time for the holidays..) Please feel free to check in with any questions and suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com].

Thank you for listening!

Jen

Hungerton, Sirius Radio, New York and New Jersey!
2007-11-19

Hey -- we're on Sirius Radio Channel 109 ("Out Q") sometime between 7 - 11 tomorrow morning (tomorrow being thanksgiving) Have a good one!

This is a busy time of community events, fundraising, and music. Please bear with me as I relay all the news..

Hungerthon: It's Hungerthon time at [A:http://www.whyhunger.org|WHY] (of which I am a proud board member), where we do our biggest annual fund-friend-awareness raiser on NYC-area radio. To learn more, volunteer and donate, please check out www.hungerthon.org. I will do the early (like 4:30 am early) shift answering phones at WCBS 880 on Tuesday, November 20th, but Hungerthon is on the air all day. Then on Thanksgiving we'll be on the air with Hungerthon radio sponsor [A:http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/Page&c=Channel&cid=1104779631490&s=sched|Sirius], playing music this time, and talking with host Larry Flick, whose "Feel the Spin" show runs from noon to 4 pm on Out Q - Channel 109. Then Saturday night will be a [A:http://www.riverspace.org|Hungerthon concert] in Nyack, NY, featuring a wide array of artists on 2 stages, including our friend [A:http://www.jdcaravan.com|Joe D'Urso].

Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange: This coming Sunday will wrap up my residency at the [A:http://www.rebeccapronsky.com/songwriters-exchange.html|Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange] at the [A:http://www.gowanus.com|Brooklyn Lyceum], where we have played each week along with some talented friends, to benefit Brooklyn charities. This show will feature Gonzalo Silva http://www.gonazalosilva.com and Bato the Yugo http://www.myspace.com/batotheyugo -- both uniquely talented artists -- and will benefit [A:http://www.developdontdestroy.org|Develop Don't Destroy].

December Concerts: New Jersey, show us some love! So many of you live there, so we need you at our two shows coming up December 1st and 2nd in Watchung and West Orange, respectively. Then we're back again to Montclair on December 14th with my uncles and cousins on December 14th in Montclair. A rare trip upstate will take us to Oneida on December 21st and Clinton on the 22nd.

Recordings: One of the tunes we recorded back in August is already up on [A:http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=267180906&amp;s=143441|itunes] as part of the Hard Rock Cafe's Serve2 CD to benefit [A:http://www.whyhunger.com|WHY]. Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'", featuring "The Rosetta Trio."

In other news, a little article I wrote for the [A:http://www.kidscanmakeadifference.org/Newsletter/nwf112006b.htm|"KIDS Can Make a Difference"] newsletter is online here under "thoughts/writings"

Thank you for listening!

Jen

All about Brooklyn! Artist Residency Benefit Sundays in November in NYC
2007-11-01

Hello everybody,

We just returned from a nice trio tour in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, where we spent time with many truly wonderful people and enjoyed the change of seasons (finally) in lovely locales. We've been having fun introducing some brand-new tunes and cover songs, and also revisiting older stuff, including my song "Election Day" which I wrote about November 2nd, 2004. On and leading up to that day my husband and musical partner Stephan Crump and I had volunteered with the non-partisan [A:http://www.ep365.org/site/c.fnKGIMNtEoG/b.2052583/k.2FF7/Election_Protection_365__Home.htm?sid=65497739|Election Protection Coalition] to help protect voters from disenfranchisement in Youngstown Ohio. In the song, I sing little snapshots of the day and the people we met, and ask some wider questions about the state of our democracy.

Despite overwhelming and credible evidence, it still feels awkward to say it: hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters had their rights stolen from them that day by myriad intentional or roundabout methods leading up to, during, and following the election. If you want details, you can read them or even just skim the first few pages of Congressman John Conyers' report [A:http://www.openvotingconsortium.org/files/Conyersreport.pdf|"Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio"].

Historically, no political party has been innocent of manipulating elections, but the scale of electoral fraud in recent times is putting American democracy in grave danger. We need to put aside cynicism, passivity and partisanship to respect the process in all its dry and tedious glory and go back to serving as a model to the world.

My talented friend Kate Chumley directed a video for "Election Day" to which I would like to direct you on [A:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96pUzYAl5hk|youtube] and also here on my site (see "videos"). Kate brought her considerable creativity and visual talents to express our love, concerns and hopes for what this country is about. Please check it out. You can also read Kate's comments on my blog. See "thoughts" on my site.

Non-governmental organizations are such an important core of strength for our democracy, and I am happy to be able to support three very special groups in November. [A:http://www.fifthave.org|Fifth Avenue Committee], [A:http://added-value.org|Added Value], and [A:http://www.developdontdestroy.org|Develop Don't Destroy] are each playing a highly effective role in strengthening economic justice, quality of life, and democratic values around my home neighborhood in Brooklyn, and some close musical friends will join me in raising a few dollars and awareness for their work. The place and time are the [A:http://www.rebeccapronsky.com/songwriters-exchange.html|Brooklyn Songwriter's Exchange] where I am November's Artist-in-Residence, every Sunday from 7-9 pm. It was a pleasure to invite these great artists, whose sounds range from jazz to country, urban folk to gypsy, to make this a month of celebrating music and community. Please join us if you are nearby, and tell your friends!

Thanks so much,

Jen

PS -- new gigs have been confirmed that will translate into tours: March 29th in Des Moines and April 20th in Raleigh -- I'll keep you posted as more things in the midwest and south come together!

heading into October..
2007-09-28

...and it will be a busy month. October 5th and 6th will be a short trip up to New England -- Maine and Rhode Island to be exact -- accompanied by the very talented [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman] on dueling guitars. Then on October 19th the regular touring trio (Jamie and [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] on acoustic bass) heads off south for a jam-packed week of house concerts (two in Maryland), historic theater dates (two in North Carolina), a satellite radio taping (XM radio in Washington DC), a hunger panel discussion and benefit (at Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia), and a return to our beloved home-away-from-home: [A:http://www.gravity-lounge.com/|The Gravity Lounge] in Charlottesville VA. In between, we're trying to fit in some finishing touches work on a new album, which I am tentatively titling "Light of Mine." More gig details, of course, on the "gigs" page.

Please check out my latest "blog" (still haven't quite gotten used to that word or that phenomenon) for other recent news.. And as always, please contact me with any questions or suggestions at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com] and I'll try not to erase your note along with my daily serving of 300 spams!

Thanks,

Jen

in the studio...
2007-08-12

...which in this case happens to be our apartment. [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump], [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox], [A:http://www.libertyellman.com/|Liberty Ellman] and I just had a full day of recording here in the home studio in Brooklyn, assisted by our good friend [A:http://www.myspace.com/peterrende|Peter Rende]. We're doing some classic tunes and a few new ones of mine. I'm not sure when or how it will come out, but we're having a nice time.

Aside from recording, it's been a great summer of little trips and lazy/busy days at home. Our recent trip to Ohio and Pennsylvania was especially nice. Click [A:http://www.o-ronline.net/video/chapin.mp4|here] to view a little video of Stephan, Jamie, little boy Maceo and I leading a summer music camp workshop on the blues at [A:http://www.washarts.org|WashArts] in Washington PA. It was much fun!

Thanks so much for coming to the site. Please listen and explore!

Jen

This weekend in Long Island
2007-08-01

[A:http://www.dhpac.org|Tickets] are on sale now for a very special concert on August 4th at Dix Hills Center for the Performing Arts on Long Island. We'll be preparing for a new album and recording for a new DVD that night. [A:http://www.dhpac.org|Please join us!] For information about comp tickets, please write me [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|here]

---------

Later this month we go to the studio to record a few very new tunes of mine and a bunch of older tunes from some most esteemed songwriters -- songs about power, powerlessness and empowerment. I'll keep you posted.

Please don't be shy to [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|write] with questions, comments, song requests, venue suggestions and tour babysitting offers!

Thanks, Jen

just a little update
2007-07-20

[A:http://www.dhpac.org|tickets] are on sale now for a very special concert on August 4th at Dix Hills Center for the Performing Arts on Long Island. We'll be preparing for a new album and recording for a new DVD that night. [A:http://www.dhpac.org|Please join us!]

---------

in other news.. it's late, so I'll be brief.

Next month we go to the studio to record a few very new tunes of mine and a bunch of older tunes from some most esteemed songwriters. It's nice to be making some more music, instead of just trying to hustle the stuff that's already made!

Next week we go to Ohio and Pennsylvania for a very short tour.

About 12 hours ago my son Maceo added more character to his handsome, almost-2-year-old face with a thorough scraping of his nose and forehead on the Brooklyn sidewalk.

All is well. Please don't be shy to [A:mailto;jen@jenchapin.com|write] with questions, comments, song requests, venue suggestions and tour babysitting offers!

Thanks, Jen

It's really nice to be home..
2007-06-04

We've been on the road a lot these past months, so it's nice to be closer to home for much of the summer. In particular, there are three NYC shows plus two on Long Island coming up that you can get the full scoop on below. I am especially looking forward to returning to [A:http://web.joespub.com/caltool/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&amp;performanceID=3022|Joe's Pub] on Sunday July 15th, in an early evening summer concert with "The Rosetta Trio" -- the critically acclaimed combination of my husband/bassist [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump] with my dear friends and guitarists [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman]. Stephan will lead the Trio in performing some of his gorgeously original compositions at 7 pm, then I'll join them after a bit to do some of my tunes and some tasty covers. I've got more plans in the works for how to use the special chemistry we all share, and I'll keep you posted. I meant to talk more about the pleasures of working with "The Rosetta Trio" for the recent interview I did for the gig, but many other topics came up.. In any case, you can hear the talk I had with Joe's Pub's John Seroff, as well as order advance tickets for the show, [A:http://web.joespub.com/caltool/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&amp;performanceID=3022|here].

Newly posted online are some live video trio performances ([A:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYEdTIsOYEg|"NYC"] and [A:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxsRCNsLEK8|"Let it Show"]) and some interview moments we did at [A:http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=51873&amp;videoChannel=3|Reuters] in Times Square in March. Someone complained that I sound nasal ? well sure, I had a stuffed up nose ? what else is new! -- but otherwise I think they are well produced and kinda cool. Thanks again to our dear friend Chad Ruble who snuck us in there.

When we do hit the road again (with Stephan, Jamie, and almost-two-year-old Maceo) we will be heading to Ohio in July and then New England and Nova Scotia in August for tight little tours that are still taking shape. If you are in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky.. or Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine.. and would like to host a house concert, or have other ideas for how we might bring our music to you, please let me know at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]. Thank you! -- Jen

Back home in NYC
2007-04-10

Thanks to all of you who made this last tour (March 8th to April 8th! Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennesee, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania! Concert halls, schools, churches, lecture halls, restaurants, music rooms, living rooms, attics, libraries, bars, coffeehouses!) such a warm and memorable experience. Many listeners traveled long hours to come to our shows, and many took the time to speak with us before and afterward. And some very wonderful people helped out by hanging out with little boy Maceo -- he made so many new friends and had a wonderful month. [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan] and [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie] and I are very grateful for the support and the experiences.

After I catch my breath a little, I'll be posting some blogs and providing some links to photos from the trip.

In the meantime, please check out the gigs schedule to find out about our upcoming spring and summer shows in NJ, Virginia, West Virginia, NYC, Ohio, Long Island and beyond. As always, I welcome your venue suggestions, song requests, and other comments at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]. Thanks so much!

Jen

here in Nashville TN.. New tour dates in Birmingham AL and Washington DC
2007-03-22

(To email Jen for any questions, ticket information, or anything else, try [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]) We had a lovely show last night at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. It was a benefit for [A:http://www.worldhungeryear.org|WHY], the hunger and poverty fighting organization in NYC on whose board I am proud to serve. This trio tour has been great so far, and we are so grateful to all of you who have come out and supported us and/or spread the word. Thank you!

We're leaving Tennessee today, but we'll be back here next week to play a show in Stephan's home town of Memphis on March 28th. Tickets can be ordered online [A:http://www.stephancrump.com/buckman.htm|here]. Before that we'll be in Indianapolis (today), Terre Haute, Lexington KY, Ferdinand IN, and then Cape Girardeau MO. After Memphis is Birmingham, Chattanooga, Decatur (Atlanta), Asheville, Charlotte, a just-confirmed show in Washington DC, and then our last show in Phoenixville PA. Please see the gigs schedule to get all the info.

Back home, the summer is filling up with some brand-new added dates in NYC and lots of other good stuff. See you soon! -- Jen

"Cats in the Cradle," and the tour...
2007-02-28

hi there -- I'm happy to announce that an intimate version we recorded of my dad Harry's tune "Cat's in the Cradle"(lyrics by my mom Sandy) is now available in a special compilation CD called A Song for My Father, from 180 Music, exclusively at Target Stores or from their [A:http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1173731078/ref=sr_1_1/601-2999298-3864152?ie=UTF8&asin=B000NCWTO0|website]. I'm really happy with how the track came out, and it was a very meaningful and rewarding project.

We just added a new show to kick off our upcoming tour -- March 8th in Youngstown OH. Details for another show 3/30 in Birmingham AL will be coming soon..

Tickets are available online for [A:http://www.dhpac.ftc.edu|March 3rd in Dix Hills, Long Island] and [A:http://www.stephancrump.com/buckman.htm|March 28th in Memphis])

Bassist [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump], guitarist [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox], toddler Maceo Crump and I are touring from March 8th to April 7th, with shows throughout the midwest and midsouth-- the full details are up when you click on "gigs." We can really use your help in spreading the word! If you would like:

more information on any of the shows

to help distribute posters and/or postcards

to make a song request for a particular performance

to offer babysitting insights

or anything else -- please let me know! [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

Thanks so much!

Jen

new gigs in Youngstown OH on 3/8 and Birmingham AL 3/30 just confirmed! kicking off the tour...
2007-02-25

(tickets available online for [A:http://www.dhpac.ftc.edu|March 3rd in Dix Hills, Long Island] and [A:http://www.stephancrump.com/buckman.htm|March 28th in Memphis])

Hey there -- Bassist [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump], guitarist

[A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox], toddler Maceo Crump and I are soon to embark on a rather epic undertaking, and we could really use your support. OK, it's not so epic in the wider scheme of things, but it does involve 16 states, 22 dates, and a minivan. We're touring from March 9th to April 7th, with shows throughout the midwest and midsouth-- the full details are up when you click on "gigs." We can really use your help in spreading the word! If you would like:

more information on any of the shows

to help distribute posters and/or postcards

to make a song request for a particular performance

to offer babysitting insights

or anything else -- please let me know! [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

west to Iowa, south to Georgia, and in between...
2007-02-11

(tickets available online for [A:http://www.dhpac.ftc.edu|March 3rd in Dix Hills, Long Island] and [A:http://www.stephancrump.com/buckman.htm|March 28th in Memphis])

Hey there -- Bassist [A:http://www.stephancrump.com|Stephan Crump], guitarist

more information on any of the shows

to help distribute posters and/or postcards

to make a song request for a particular performance

to offer babysitting insights

or anything else -- please let me know! [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

lots o' shows coming up..
2007-01-23

The trio will be hitting the road very soon -- first for a tight 10 days down south in February, kicked off in Teaneck NJ! -- and then for a good month in March into April. The latter tour will take us into Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky (to be confirmed), Georgia,, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.. More dates are being filled in daily, but in the meantime please check out "gigs" to see if we are coming near you..

suggestions, requests, and volunteers for poster/postcard distribution and babysitting help are now being accepted [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|here]!

Happy New Year!
2006-12-30

We're starting it off with a show at one of the classic acoustic listening rooms in the Northeast: Club Passim in the heart of Harvard Square. If you live in the Boston area, please join us on Thursday January 4th. Other January dates will take us to Brooklyn NY (just down the street), midtown and downtown NYC, upstate NY and NJ. Then the road tripping starts for real -- a short February tour down south (VA, NC, SC, MD), and then out for most of March and into April in the midwest and south. I'm still working to fill some dates around Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky.. so please let me know at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com] if you have any venue suggestions (intimate and small is good!) and/or contacts in these neighborhoods. Thanks to all of you who have sent so many great ideas already. This is so helpful to us! For information about the shows booked so far, please see "gigs."

Before we hit the road in the spring, there will be a special full band show for Long Islanders on March 3rd in Dix Hills. Tickets are available now online at [A:http://www.dhpac.ftc.edu|www.dhpac.ftc.edu] (Click "online tickets")

In my formative musical years at Berklee College of Music I had the opportunity to study the master over the course of a semester, as lead singer of the "James Brown Ensemble". No joke. I didn't do any splits, but I did learn a lot about the funk and working with a great band. Mr. Brown wasn't ready to go just yet, but his legacy resides in all of us who love American music.

Thanks for listening,

Jen

Living Room residency wraps up with your requests.. and WHY's Hungerthon.
2006-11-24

Happy Thanksgiving!

Please let me know if you are coming to hear us do our last show of the November residency at the Living Room in NYC, Monday 11/27 at 8 pm. We will be playing your requests, so make them in advance at [A:mailto:jen@jenchapin.com|jen@jenchapin.com]

And here are two easy things that you can do to help save lives and make the world a better place: One is to donate to WHY's [A:https://ssl-033.vianetworks.net/worldhungeryear/forms/why_donation.asp|Hungerthon], and support innovative, long-term solutions to hunger and poverty that build self-reliance (I am WHY's Board Chair and know first hand what a great organization it is), and the other is to register with the [A:http://www.dkmsamericas.org/donors/become.html|National Bone Marrow Donor Registry] so that you can help save someone's life (including the life of one special little 5-year old boy, [A:http://www.myspace.com/gagedole|Gage Dole], who is currently seeking a match). It's amazing how powerful this gesture can be if your characteristics match those of someone with a life-threatening disease. Both actions are simple and important.

Yes, it's WHY's Hungerthon season again
2006-10-25

WHY is the wonderful organization for which I serve as Board Chair and whose logo and weblink you can see below. We'll be performing tomorrow (10/26) at the festivities to kick-off this fund/friend/consciousness raiser -- at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. For info and tickets see https://ssl-033.vianetworks.net/worldhungeryear/forms/why_tickets.asp But that's just the beginning.

(From the WHY website:) Hungerthon joins together WHY, radio stations, corporations, and individual donors to fight the hunger and poverty problem that affects 37 million Americans and 842 million people throughout the world. Hungerthon is a public education effort and fundraiser. This Autumn radio tradition started in 1975 as a partnership between WHY and Infinity Broadcasting. Today Hungerthon's broadcast "family" includes Infinity Broadcasting's New York Tri-state area radio stations, plus 95.5 FM WPLJ, 104.3 FM WAXQ, Sirius Satellite Radio, Air America and internet only stations ModernMetro.com and RocklandWorldRadio.com.... http://www.worldhungeryear.org/hungerthon/default.asp

Stephan Crump's new album "Rosetta"
2006-10-06

As it was written by Nate Chinen in The New York Times today: "As a bassist and composer, Mr. Crump avoids obvious routes but manages never to lose his way." I couldn't agree more -- which is why I have enjoyed working with Stephan as a performer and a co-producer for so long. Check out Stephan's new album "Rosetta" at cdbaby.com (http://cdbaby.com/cd/crump3) and come hear him perform this beautiful music in NYC with our two friends and bandmates Jamie Fox and Liberty Ellman (OK I did kind of steal them from Steph) on Wednesday October 11th, The Cutting Room, at 9:30 pm. http://www.stephancrump.com.

all about NYC
2006-09-22

Sometimes I get so excited about checking out new places and people (and trying to conquer the world) that I don't put enough focus into playing right here at home in New York. That will change this fall, as a number of shows are scheduled throughout October and November in NYC, including a November residency of Mondays at The Living Room in the Lower East Side.

Not to say there won't be some excursions out of town, to places like Washington PA, College Station TX, Freeland MD, and Asbury Park NJ..

Hope to see you!

Jen

scaling back the midwest tour...
2006-08-26

Hey everyone -- I'm sorry to report that due to some health challenges that came up for me, we have had to scale back our tour of the midwest and postpone a number of shows until a later time. The shows that I will not be playing include tonight (8/26) in Cleveland, tomorrow (8/27) in Dayton, 8/30 in Indianapolis, 8/31 in Terre Haute, 9/6 in Columbus, 9/7 in Lansing and 9/8 in Binghamton.

However, these dates will still feature the great Brian Vander Ark www.bvamusic.com with the special addition of his golden-voiced wife Lux Land www.luxlandmusic.com filling in as an opener.

Additionally, we are salvaging the Labor Day weekend to fly out for a few shows at Notre Dame (9/1), Crystal Lake IL (9/2) and Cedar Rapids IA (9/3). Please come see us there if you are nearby. We will reschedule the other cities soon.

Thank you!

Jen

A tour with BVA and babies!
2006-08-18

The other breaking news is that we have a 3 week tour in the midwest coming up. "We" will be the trio of myself, Stephan Crump on bass and Jamie Fox on guitar. Along for the ride will be, of course, baby Maceo, who will turn 1 on the road.

Coincidentally or not, there will be another baby celebrating her 1st birthday on the road with us. We are sharing the dates with the wonderful Brian Vander Ark, whose wife Lux Land and baby Evangeline will be hitting these hotspots as well.

Please see the "gigs" page for specific dates in or near Jamestown NY, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, South Bend, Chicago, Cedar Rapids, Lansing, and Binghamton NY!

www.bvamusic.com

Yes, it's a new website!
2006-08-11

I hope you enjoy it. Of course this is a work in progress, and there will be lots of additional stuff added weekly as we work out the kinks. Please let me know at jen@jenchapin.com if you see any typos or anything else that needs fixin. Thank you! And thanks to the wonderful people at www.artgig.com who so patiently and skillfully put this together! -- Jen

2012-05-07

2012-04-25

2012-04-21

Composer / Occupier Concert and Dialogue: "Love in the band and blood on the floor"2012-04-09

2012-03-22

Jen Chapin solo, duo, trio and band - in NYC, Michigan, Paris, MD, PA..2012-03-14

2012-01-31

shows coming up in Feb.. 2012-01-26

2012-01-11

Happy New Year!2011-12-28

Hungerthon is on!2011-11-23

no show tonight!2011-11-22

Jen Chapin Trio in the Fall, Rock Camp for Girls, Hungerthon, and Occupy Wall Street2011-11-14

2011-10-12

Jen Chapin Trio coming to Reno, San Francisco, LA, Tubac AZ, Santa Fe and Denver! 2011-09-21

here and back out again.. 2011-09-04

Jen Chapin Trio in PA, then New England and Eastern Canada: VT, MA, RI, ME, NB and NS..2011-08-01

2011-07-18

Good stuff coming up..2011-07-11

2011-06-21

Summer!2011-05-31

May band shows2011-04-23

last minute tour date added: 4/19 in Goshen, IN2011-04-17

hitting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa!2011-03-18

Saturday, March 12th at Southpaw2011-03-06

March and April2011-02-11

Happy New Year2010-12-31

2010-12-10

Jen Chapin new album in the works, Trio on Long Island and NYC2010-11-17

Big News2010-11-05

on tour in VA, NC and MD..2010-09-27

heading down south for fall..2010-09-13

heading north, and other good stuff2010-08-13

summer shows2010-06-17

effective aid groups in Haiti2010-01-15

Happy New Year2010-01-03

all CDs on sale for the holidays.. $102009-12-15

The fall2009-09-30

Van and Bruce and Stevie2009-09-22

2009-08-16

Happy Spring everyone!2009-03-21

Happy New Year2009-01-15

A new song for this moment -- "Renewable" (Brooklyn was shouting from the rooftops!)2008-11-20

3 more shows this year. And a surprise recording..2008-11-11

two words, for now --2008-10-28

Back from the UK, on to the midwest2008-09-23

next 2008 tour with Rosetta Trio: England and Scotland2008-07-29

Western Tour2008-07-06

(kinda) new website!2008-07-02

NYC and a summer tour out West2008-06-08

CD/DVD Release show in NYC on July 3rd, with the Chapin Sisters2008-05-09

Light of Mine -- now available on CDbaby (and here, from paypal)2008-04-17

Light of Mine -- the new CD/DVD on sale here!2008-04-03

coming soon to Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota..2008-03-19

"Light of Mine" The new album from Jen Chapin & Rosetta Trio + XM Radio2008-02-21

Hey everyone2008-01-20

Happy New Year2008-01-10

Have a wonderful holiday season!2007-12-19

I'm pretty excited about these water bottles..2007-12-08

December in New Jersey, on WFUV, and upstate NY2007-11-26

Hungerton, Sirius Radio, New York and New Jersey!2007-11-19

All about Brooklyn! Artist Residency Benefit Sundays in November in NYC2007-11-01

heading into October..2007-09-28

in the studio...2007-08-12

This weekend in Long Island2007-08-01

just a little update2007-07-20

It's really nice to be home..2007-06-04

Back home in NYC2007-04-10

here in Nashville TN.. New tour dates in Birmingham AL and Washington DC2007-03-22

"Cats in the Cradle," and the tour...2007-02-28

new gigs in Youngstown OH on 3/8 and Birmingham AL 3/30 just confirmed! kicking off the tour...2007-02-25

west to Iowa, south to Georgia, and in between...2007-02-11

lots o' shows coming up.. 2007-01-23

Happy New Year!2006-12-30

Living Room residency wraps up with your requests.. and WHY's Hungerthon.2006-11-24

Yes, it's WHY's Hungerthon season again2006-10-25

Stephan Crump's new album "Rosetta"2006-10-06

all about NYC2006-09-22

scaling back the midwest tour...2006-08-26

A tour with BVA and babies!2006-08-18

Composer / Occupier Concert and Dialogue: "Love in the band and blood on the floor"
2012-04-09

Jen Chapin solo, duo, trio and band - in NYC, Michigan, Paris, MD, PA..
2012-03-14

shows coming up in Feb..
2012-01-26

Happy New Year!
2011-12-28

Hungerthon is on!
2011-11-23

no show tonight!
2011-11-22

Jen Chapin Trio in the Fall, Rock Camp for Girls, Hungerthon, and Occupy Wall Street
2011-11-14

Jen Chapin Trio coming to Reno, San Francisco, LA, Tubac AZ, Santa Fe and Denver!
2011-09-21

here and back out again..
2011-09-04

Jen Chapin Trio in PA, then New England and Eastern Canada: VT, MA, RI, ME, NB and NS..
2011-08-01

Good stuff coming up..
2011-07-11

Summer!
2011-05-31

May band shows
2011-04-23

last minute tour date added: 4/19 in Goshen, IN
2011-04-17

hitting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa!
2011-03-18

Saturday, March 12th at Southpaw
2011-03-06

March and April
2011-02-11

Happy New Year
2010-12-31

Jen Chapin new album in the works, Trio on Long Island and NYC
2010-11-17

Big News
2010-11-05

on tour in VA, NC and MD..
2010-09-27

heading down south for fall..
2010-09-13

heading north, and other good stuff
2010-08-13

summer shows
2010-06-17

effective aid groups in Haiti
2010-01-15

Happy New Year
2010-01-03

all CDs on sale for the holidays.. $10
2009-12-15

The fall
2009-09-30

Van and Bruce and Stevie
2009-09-22

Happy Spring everyone!
2009-03-21

Happy New Year
2009-01-15

A new song for this moment -- "Renewable" (Brooklyn was shouting from the rooftops!)
2008-11-20

3 more shows this year. And a surprise recording..
2008-11-11

two words, for now --
2008-10-28

Back from the UK, on to the midwest
2008-09-23

next 2008 tour with Rosetta Trio: England and Scotland
2008-07-29

Western Tour
2008-07-06

(kinda) new website!
2008-07-02

NYC and a summer tour out West
2008-06-08

CD/DVD Release show in NYC on July 3rd, with the Chapin Sisters
2008-05-09

Light of Mine -- now available on CDbaby (and here, from paypal)
2008-04-17

Light of Mine -- the new CD/DVD on sale here!
2008-04-03

coming soon to Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota..
2008-03-19

"Light of Mine" The new album from Jen Chapin & Rosetta Trio + XM Radio
2008-02-21

Hey everyone
2008-01-20

Happy New Year
2008-01-10

Have a wonderful holiday season!
2007-12-19

I'm pretty excited about these water bottles..
2007-12-08

December in New Jersey, on WFUV, and upstate NY
2007-11-26

Hungerton, Sirius Radio, New York and New Jersey!
2007-11-19

All about Brooklyn! Artist Residency Benefit Sundays in November in NYC
2007-11-01

heading into October..
2007-09-28

in the studio...
2007-08-12

This weekend in Long Island
2007-08-01

just a little update
2007-07-20

It's really nice to be home..
2007-06-04

Back home in NYC
2007-04-10

here in Nashville TN.. New tour dates in Birmingham AL and Washington DC
2007-03-22

"Cats in the Cradle," and the tour...
2007-02-28

new gigs in Youngstown OH on 3/8 and Birmingham AL 3/30 just confirmed! kicking off the tour...
2007-02-25

west to Iowa, south to Georgia, and in between...
2007-02-11

lots o' shows coming up..
2007-01-23

Happy New Year!
2006-12-30

Living Room residency wraps up with your requests.. and WHY's Hungerthon.
2006-11-24

Yes, it's WHY's Hungerthon season again
2006-10-25

Stephan Crump's new album "Rosetta"
2006-10-06

all about NYC
2006-09-22

scaling back the midwest tour...
2006-08-26

A tour with BVA and babies!
2006-08-18

Yes, it's a new website!
2006-08-11