Event

Butch Thompson & Pat Donohue

In a career spanning over 45 years, pianist and clarinetist Butch Thompson has earned a world-wide reputation as a traditional jazz and ragtime master. He tours widely as a soloist or at the helm of any of his several ensembles, including his well-known Butch Thompson Trio, his eight-piece Jazz Originals band, the Butch Thompson Big Three, or his unique blues duo with fingerstyle guitarist Pat Donohue.

He has performed with many symphony orchestras, including the Hartford Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Cairo (Egypt) Symphony.

Widely known for his 12-year stint as house pianist on public radios A Prairie Home Companion, where the Butch Thompson Trio was the house band, he continues on the show as a frequent guest.

Grammy winning fingerpicker Pat Donohues devotion to acoustic guitar has made him an American standard, as he echoes the tones of Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Merle Travis or Muddy Waters. A versatile guitarists guitarist, Pat enjoys entertaining fans with intricate fingerpicking, easy wit, and nimble interpretations of old blues, swing, R&B and original tunes. For over twenty years Pat was the lead guitar player and songwriter for the Guys All Star Shoe Band on the NPR favorite A Prairie Home Companion. Pat is now touring the US playing a variety of venues including Performance Halls, Coffeehouse series and in blues, folk and eclectic listening rooms. Pat also conducts guitar workshops and teaches at prestigious guitar camps across the country.