Butler, Bill - Portrait of a Piano: The Exciting Sound of Bill Butler

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	A Portrait of a Piano	02:14
	2	Theme from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2	02:31
	3	Chopin Nocturne In E Flat	02:35
	4	Intermezzo	02:44
	5	My Heart at thy Sweet Voice	02:46
	6	Canadian Sunset	03:05

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Theme from Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1	02:22
	2	I'm Always Chasing Rainbows	02:54
	3	The Dream of Olwen	02:34
	4	Theme from "The Pathetique"	03:00
	5	18th Variation from Rapsodie on a Theme of Paganini (Theme from "A Story of Three Loves")	02:38
	6	Manhattan Serenade	02:20

Photos

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Information/Write-up

Canadian Pianist, Arranger, and Bandleader

Bill Butler (1927 – ?) is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost pianists, equally at home in solo performance, trio settings, orchestral arrangements, and recording studios. Over a career spanning decades, he brought a distinctive blend of technical finesse, warmth, and accessibility to audiences across Canada and beyond.

Early Life and Musical Foundations
Born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 23, 1927, Butler showed precocious musical talent. He organized his first trio at the age of 13 to play at a summer resort and, while in high school, performed at Toronto’s Masonic Temple. He studied arranging and harmony at the Toronto Conservatory of Music, developing skills that would serve him throughout his career. In his early years, he played with Canadian bandleaders Ellis McLintock, Bobby Gimby, and Bert Niosi.

By the early 1950s, Butler had formed his own band and from 1952 to 1957 held a residency at Club One Two in Toronto. In 1957 he became the opening pianist and leader for the Pump Room at the Lord Simcoe Hotel — a prestigious engagement he held for years — and appeared regularly on CBC television and Toronto radio station CKFH. He became a familiar face to American audiences as well through frequent appearances on the Arthur Godfrey and Dave Garroway television programs.

Recording Debut – Lover’s Hour (1956)
Butler’s first known LP, Lover’s Hour (Decca, 1956), presented him in a set of piano solos with rhythm accompaniment. The album emphasized intimacy and romantic nuance, described in its liner notes as music “bequeathed to the young and the young at heart,” and highlighted Butler’s ability to “make the piano speak alluringly and lingeringly in the dialects understood by the heart.”

Pump Room Residency – At the Pump Room (1960)
In 1960 Columbia Records issued Bill Butler at the Pump Room, capturing his work at the Lord Simcoe Hotel. The repertoire reflected his love of show tunes, mood pieces, and ballads, and the recording helped cement his status as a Canadian lounge and easy-listening favorite.

Canadian Talent Library Recordings – Early to Mid 1960s
Butler became an important contributor to the Canadian Talent Library (CTL), a non-profit initiative dedicated to promoting Canadian artists through radio airplay. His CTL albums include:

Piano Stylings of Bill Butler (CTL 5006, c. 1962) – Smooth interpretations of popular standards.

Piano Stylings of Bill Butler Vol. 2 (CTL 5011 / CTL 1011, c. 1962) – A companion set expanding his repertoire with new arrangements.

The Piano Stylings of Bill Butler (CTL 5027 / CTL 1027, 1964) – Seasonal themes and classic melodies, arranged for piano, bass, and drums.

These albums extended Butler’s reach nationwide, airing on Canadian radio stations coast-to-coast.

Our Love Affair (1963)
In 1963, Butler recorded Our Love Affair, his first album with a large orchestra. He handled both arranging and conducting duties, presenting romantic standards alongside classical adaptations such as Chopin’s Nocturne and “Autumn Concerto.”

Portrait of a Piano: The Exciting Sound of Bill Butler (1964)
This 1964 LP paired Butler’s piano with French horns, woodwinds, and strings in fresh treatments of classical and popular works. Pieces ranged from Chopin and Tchaikovsky to “Canadian Sunset” and “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” showcasing his versatility and refined touch.

The Bill Butler Trio
While Butler was already a noted soloist, he also maintained an active career with his trio, most often featuring Wally Ewanski on bass and Mickey Shannon on drums.

Three for the Music (Columbia FS 522, ca. early 1960s) – A set of romantic standards for piano, bass, and drums, highlighting “romance spiced liberally with nostalgia.”

A Knight in King Arthur’s Court (Columbia Special Products CSP-113, ca. 1968) – A limited-edition LP blending jazz, pop, and easy listening styles, performed by Butler with Ewanski and Shannon.

Mister Tony’s Presents the Bill Butler Trio (Tonbut 72-0055, 1972) – Recorded at Mister Tony’s in Toronto, again with Ewanski (bass) and Shannon (drums). The repertoire mixed swing numbers, ballads, and bossa novas, reflecting the trio’s polished club performances.

Later Work and Legacy
By the 1970s, Butler was a fixture in Toronto’s high-end music scene, appearing regularly in clubs, concert venues, and on television. His albums — whether solo, orchestral, or trio-based — remain a document of a Canadian artist who bridged jazz, pop, and light classical traditions. From his teenage trio beginnings to his long residencies and national broadcasts, Butler left an enduring mark on Canadian easy listening and lounge music.
-Robert Williston

Arranged & Conducted by Jack Pleis
Produced by Ernie Altschuler

Cover photo by Henry Parker (Columbia Records Photo Studio)

Liner notes:
The entire repertoire Bill Butler has chosen for this album is the music of romance — music bequeathed to the young and the young at heart. Whether you’re dancing or just relaxing and daydreaming, you’ll discover that Bill Butler’s brilliant style and unique musicianship suit your mood perfectly. Stirring French horns, soft woodwinds and vibrant strings blend richly with the fabulous Butler piano to paint a musical portrait of romance, excitement and nostalgia.

The twelve selections heard in this album range from Bill’s original, A Portrait of a Piano, to rhythmic interpretations of such familiar classical standards as Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat, the ever-beautiful themes from Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos, and the delightful Rapsodie on a Theme of Paganini. He also plays Intermezzo, My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice, and The Dream of Olwen, all in special, fresh arrangements. An intriguing treatment of I’m Always Chasing Rainbows features pizzicato strings supporting Bill’s piano. As a salute to his homeland, he includes a haunting version of Canadian Sunset, and to round out this collection, the sophisticated Manhattan Serenade.

Toronto-born Bill Butler is one of Canada’s most talented and popular young pianists. He began his musical training at age six at Toronto’s Conservatory of Music. Some twelve years later, he was playing and arranging for the city’s top orchestras and radio programs. After a highly successful five-year engagement at Toronto’s Club One-Two with his own group, he was asked to form an orchestra for the opening of the Lord Simcoe Hotel’s now-famous Pump Room. Bill’s unique piano artistry immediately won many new fans. He has also found admirers in the United States through frequent appearances on the Arthur Godfrey and Dave Garroway Shows.

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