Butch Thompson - solo piano shows


THE FINGER BREAKER
A salute to the genius of Jelly Roll Morton, the New Orleans pianist whose recipe for jazz included ragtime, blues, Carribean habaneras,and Italian grand opera.

"Where an almost superhuman technique is required, Thompson takes no back seat to anyone—not even to Morton himself." - Mike Anthony, Minneapolis Star & Tribune



BUTCH THOMPSON, PIANO WITH SPECIAL GUEST LAURA SEWELL, CELLO
Laura Sewell & Butch ThompsonButch's partnership with Laura Sewell offers a program full of variety and the pure joy of music-making. This unique duo plays a far-reaching repertoire, from Duke Ellington and Scott Joplin to J.S. Bach and Guiseppe Verdi. Lyrical tunes by Cole Porter, stomps by Jelly Roll Morton, an aria or two, an original blues — this unique combination erases the line between formal and informal music.

"The two make ideal partners. Both are sensitive to the unique gifts of the other: the sensuous sound of Sewell's cello and the dazzle and energy of Thompson's piano. And in complementing each other, they made the most of both." - William Randall Beard, St. Paul Pioneer Press
Read more about Laura Sewell»
Listen to an audio clip of Butch & Laura playing Fats Wallers' Clothesline Ballet (MP3 1.2MB).



Butch Thompson in santa hatYULESTRIDE
From the lyrical Silent Night to the barrelhouse Jingle Bells, Butch's affectionate arrangements are the centerpiece of this critically acclaimed and highly popular holiday show.
"Beguiling piano Americana from an interpreter who knows that Bix was more than an impressionist and Fats was more than a buffoon." - The Village Voice



THOMPSON PLAYS JOPLIN
Butch takes a fresh look at the king of ragtime's beautiful works. As one reviewer put it " an inspired interpreter of Joplin, not only for his exquisite touch and his acute sense of the composer's sophisticated rhythms, but also his bristling spontaneity. Every tune radiated vibrant, fresh-cut flair."



HANDFUL OF KEYS
The east coast piano style known as "stride" is demanding, exciting, and full of surprises. Butch's flying fingers illuminate the music of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, and others.
This show also celebrates the centenary of Fats Waller, born in New York in 1904. Fats was both a consummate entertainer and one of the most influential pianists in jazz history. “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Blue Turnin’ Grey Over You,” Thompson performs piano originals including “Handful of Keys,” “Clothesline Ballet,” and the seldom-heard six-part “London Suite.”

"Thompson's solos offered creative surprise after surprise."- Owen Cordle, The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina