<![CDATA[Butch's Blog - Butch's Blog]]>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:52:05 +0700Weebly<![CDATA[A Foggy Night in Rockland Town]]>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:09:17 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/07/touring-and-r-r-in-maine.html
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This is the theater in Rockland, Maine where I played a concert on July 1 with my friends Jimmy Mazzy and Eli Newberger. This was followed by some relaxing at one of my favorite places, the East Wind Inn. I've got more photos which I'll post very soon.

]]><![CDATA[A festival should be festive, ]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:10:51 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/06/a-festival-should-be-festive.htmland as you can see from this clip, the 2009 Blind Boone Festival in Columbia, MO really had its moments. There are technical problems here, especially sound, but you get the idea. Vernel Bagneris is out front here, with me on clarinet, Morten Larsen on piano, Hal Smith on drums, and Marty Eggers on tuba. You also see Terry Waldo at the second piano.  You should have been there.   

]]><![CDATA[A great festival]]>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:58:29 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/06/a-great-festival.htmlI've been holding off posting anything on the Blind Boone festival I mentioned on 5/28.  There should be some youTube links up very soon, and I'll include them in my full report.  For now, here's a teaser:  Morten Gunnar Larsen playing Jelly Roll Morton's Shreveport Stomp at the same festival in 2006.  Again, stay tuned .. . . .  

]]><![CDATA[Another festival this weekend . . . . ]]>Thu, 28 May 2009 20:20:32 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/05/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit1.htmlThis weekend I'm playing (deep breath) The Original "Blind" Boone Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival  in Columbia, Missouri.  This event celebrates the African-American piano virtuoso John William "Blind" Boone.  This is a great festival, where some of Boone's music is indeed played, but not exclusively.  Among other delights, my friends Morten Gunnar Larsen (a great pianist from Oslo) and Vernel Bagneris (New Orleans-born actor, writer, dancer) will perform their hit off-Broadway show "Jelly Roll: the Music and the Man."  Stay tuned.  

]]><![CDATA[Memories of You]]>Thu, 21 May 2009 11:08:46 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/05/memories-of-you.htmlEubie Blake and Alberta Hunter, sometime between 1978 and 1983, performing one of Eubie's best known numbers. These veterans were in their 80s when this was broadcast.  Eubie was at least eight years older than Ms. Hunter, but the point here isn't age, but experience.  Both were being feted by the national media as true originals, and that is what they were.  

]]><![CDATA[Working on my radio show]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 18:25:36 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/05/working-on-my-radio-show.html

The show is called Jazz Originals.  We produce it here, where it's streamed (sorry, no archive) every Sunday at 6 pm CST and repeated every Thursday at 8 pm CST. 

]]><![CDATA[Slides from New Orleans]]>Sun, 10 May 2009 20:50:15 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/05/slides-from-new-orleans.htmlThis is a roundup of shots from our two weeks in the Land of Dreams last month.  These images don't need much explication, but here's what I think: New Orleans is putting up a very good front for the tourists, but Katrina -- or rather the man-made disaster triggered by that storm -- hasn't gone away, and it never will.  

]]><![CDATA[Another Saturday night at the Palm Court]]>Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:57:36 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/04/another-saturday-night-at-the-palm-court.html

Top, from left: me, Lars Edegran, Brian O'Connell, Chuck Badie, Lionel Ferbos, Sven Stahlberg, Freddie John.  Closeup: Lars, Brian, Lionel. 
Lionel played and sang some very sweet old tunes including Was It a Dream?, River Stay 'Way From My Door, Stars Fell on Alabama, and Love Songs of the Nile. 

]]><![CDATA[And now -- Jazzfest]]>Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:53:10 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/04/and-nowjazzfest.htmlThe anchor for this New Orleans visit is tomorrow's Jazzfest set with Clive and the Serenaders. We're onstage at 2:55 in the traditional jazz venue, the Economy Hall Tent.  It's good to remember that this is about much more than just music -- it's about immersion in New Orleans culture, the parades, the costumes, and whoa! the food. 

]]><![CDATA[More from New Orleans]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:35:10 +0700http://butchthompson.weebly.com/1/post/2009/04/more-from-new-orleans.html

This afternoon's concert was at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park -- yes, it's part of the national park service.  Photos, from the top: Turning the corner as we start the walk to work; .the view from the piano bench, just before we hit; the view from the seats (from left: me, Tommy Sancton, Tom Saunders, Clive Wilson, Freddie John, Herman Lebeaux. 

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