In a career spanning 40 years, pianist Butch Thompson has earned a world-wide reputation as a master of ragtime, stride and classic jazz piano. He spends much of his time on tour in the U.S.and internationally. Although he often travels as a soloist, he also appears with his well-known trio or his eight-piece New Orleans Jazz Originals band. He performs with symphony orchestras, among them recently the Hartford Symphony, the St.Louis Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra,and the Cairo (Egypt) Symphony. Widely known for his 12-year stint as house pianist and band leader on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, he continues as a frequent guest on that show.