West Virginia jazz pianist Bob Thompson and his quartet entertained nearly 150 fans on opening night of Leaf Peeper’s weekend on Friday. Sponsored by Cottrill’s Opera House and Timberline Resort, the concert featured the 82 year old jazz virtuoso in the setting of an old school night club.
“Bob Thompson is a West Virginia treasure, a master of the jazz piano. We were honored that he chose to come up from Charleston and play for us on such a beautiful fall night,” said Cottrill’s board president Dave Esch.
A performer, composer and teacher, Thompson’s career has spanned over fifty years, most of it in West Virginia. Since 1991 he has been the featured house pianist for the West Virginia Public Broadcasting nationally syndicated show Mountain Stage. He is also the producer and host of the annual holiday jazz show, Joy to the World, which is broadcast nationally. He has played internationally and at the Kennedy Center, and has been inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
Esch said that one of the Cottrill’s board members is a friend of Thompson’s. When she suggested he play for Leaf Peeper’s he jumped at the chance.
“Our mountains are spectacular this time of year, and Leaf Peeper’s is the perfect way to kick off the fall color season. It was a very special evening”
According to Esch this is just the beginning of what Cottrill’s Opera House has in store for the community. He and his board members are in the throes of a major renovation campaign to make Cottrill’s a center for the arts. Contractors recently finished re-pointing the building’s brick work and Michael Mills architects are finishing up design work for rebuilding the interior.
“We have money in the bank and more grants in the hopper and we’re confident that a rebuilt Cottrill’s Opera House is going to be a reality sooner than we think.”
Cottrill’s and the Sutton Theater that followed were once vital to downtown Thomas. What began as a vaudeville theater morphed into silent films, the first talkies and ultimately full length feature films. It was a place for entertainment, not necessarily high art.
“Cottrill’s was a space where everyone was welcome. We’re bringing it back in a way that will be more comfortable and accessible, so everyone can enjoy it. It’s going to add so much to our community” said Esch.
Timberline Resort co-hosted the evening, providing food, drink and staffing.
“We’re so lucky to have Timberline. They’re incredible partners and did everything they could to make the evening a success. Between Bob Thompson, Timberline, and my board members, Leaf Peeper’s weekend got off to a fantastic start.”
