King Porter Stomp – 2008
Butch Thompson and Morten Gunnar Larsen
2 stride pianists perform one of Jelly Roll Morton’s greatest songs
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Stride piano is an art that has only been mastered by a few dozen pianists since its heyday ended in the 1940s.
The late Butch Thompson and Morten Gunnar Larsen teamed up with bassist Marty Eggers and drummer Hal Smith at a 2008 ragtime festival to perform Jelly Roll Morton’s “King Porter Stomp.”
The song, which became a standard during the swing era when it was a must for big bands, was originally a piano piece.
Thompson and Larsen perform each of the themes in rousing fashion and, although each is a very complete pianist, they manage to avoid clashing or having the fiery number sound overcrowded; the results are joyous.
-Scott Yanow
