Butch Thompson began to play the piano when he was three and he showed interest in ragtime, boogie-woogie and jazz already at this early age. He played the clarinet in the school band as a teenager and from then he became a professional musician playing both instruments. He founded his first band when still at school and soon moved to New Orleans where he was one of the few whites and non-local musicians who frequently played in Preservation Hall. He played a lot in Europe in the sixties and seventies and performed at major jazz festivals. He was the house pianist of one of the most popular radio shows in the U.S. which made him especially well-known. Butch was the pianist in the band of the legendary, late Doc Cheatham.

Butch has performed as soloist with numerous American symphony orchestras and given concerts with the Cairo Symphony as well. He's also been productive as a composer: he first performed his "Ecuadorean Memories" in 1997 with the St. Louis Symphony. As a journalist he writes for Mississippi Rag and Down Beat.

Butch has made tons of recordings, he tours worldwide. His playing has been critically acclaimed by the biggest newspapers including the The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Jazz Journal International called him "...the premier player in traditional jazz today". Butch Thompson performed at the Bohém Festival in 2002.

www.butchthompson.com

MP3: Butch Thompson (piano) – Charleston Rag (Eubie Blake)