Butch Thompson

Butch Thompson (born 1943) is an American jazz pianist and clarinetist best known for his ragtime and stride performances.

Music career

Thompson was born in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, began playing piano at the early age of three, and began taking lessons at age six. At Stillwater Area High School, he played clarinet in the band. In 1962 he joined the Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band in Minneapolis and remained with the band for twenty years. From 1974–1986, he was a regular on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Since the 1960s, he has led the Butch Thompson Trio.

In the 1970s, Thompson's recordings gained popularity in Europe. He toured the continent extensively in the 1970s and 1980s, both as a solo artist and as a band leader or member. He has written for jazz publications and produces a radio show, Jazz Originals, for KBEM-FM in Minneapolis.