the viper song jazz

The song was a hit for Smith[1] and is one of the most frequently covered songs about marijuana smoking in American popular music. A small, but growing, educational music publisher. Currently our catalog contains percussion solo and ensemble music, concert band and jazz combo from various writers. Lt. George Robert Vincent, a sound engineer then working for the Armed Forces Radio Service, conceived the V-Disc program and convinced the army to put up $1 million for the effort. [8], Strong evidence, however, suggests Sloman is wrong that the tune slipped past the censors and it seems likely the recording did not become public until after the war. And he started playing the piano, and he was okay for a while. I.e. 1,000+ search results for viper Waller's track is also a small footnote in the story of Harry J. Anslinger's efforts to prosecute jazz musicians for smoking marijuana during World War II. "Hey, cats, it's four o'clock in the mornin'. ... Jazz Ensemble - Intermediate - Digital Download Composed by Peter Petrack. "Waller plied himself with a bottle of Vat-69 Scotch during each recording session, and the drunker he got, the more suggestive his songs became. They had created a self-contained culture, and squares like Anslinger were no match," Larry Sloman writes in Reefer madness: the history of marijuana in America. Jazz trumpeter Jonah Jones performed the vocals on the first Stuff Smith recording. Being offered a chance to leave for the United States, he met the greatest jazz musicians of the … All shows edited and produced by John Sinclair and Steve Fly. Noel Jewkes) - Single by Black Olive Jazz on Apple Music. Burdened with the sharp vinegar of truth, The Viper and His Famous Orchestra deliver a powerful blend of street-corner jazz, front-porch country, and meeting-hall agitprop. "[12], A 2006 article in the Austin Chronicle about the history of American marijuana songs is titled "If You're a Viper" and refers to the eponymous tune as "the king of all pot songs. [6], The song's lyrics also point to the way interest in jazz music and black culture more generally were slowly breaking down cultural barriers in early 20th century America. Score, Set of Parts. Songs and lyrics from ReverbNation Artist Yung Viper, Rap music from Los Angeles, CA on ReverbNation For over eighteen years The New Orleans Jazz Vipers have been an institution of Swing music on Frenchmen Street, the jazz mecca of New Orleans.The Jazz Vipers have been regarded by many as pioneers of the “Frenchmen Street Swing Renaissance.”. "If You're a Viper" (originally released under the title "You'se a Viper", and sometimes titled "If You'se a Viper") is a jazz song composed by Stuff Smith. 00:00 -59:04. [3] The jazz music that Abby plays right after Kate's funeral is called "The Viper". When he first got to the studio, he demanded a bottle of VAT-69, which is not hair tonic. Share. Their DIY uke-and-suitcase sound frames The Viper's well-crafted songs about love, theft, buildings, bus routes, life in the key of Bb, and the work of skiffle in an age of mechanical reproduction. "Jazz legend Fats Waller recorded 22 songs for V-Discs, but only nine were deemed usable. "[13] The song has been covered by Dave Van Ronk, the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Bobby Short, Wayne Kramer, Kermit Ruffins, Widespread Panic, Ekoostik Hookah, country musician Wayne Hancock, Alex Chilton, The Manhattan Transfer, Erin McKeown, and others. Noel Jewkes)". Waller had a stride-piano piece of his own called "Viper's Drag" (earlier recorded in 1930 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra) Sidney Bechet wrote and recorded "Viper Mad" and Fletcher Allen's "Viper's Dream" later gained a wide audience when it was recorded by Django Reinhardt in France. Taking stops by all the great American genres, from raucous rock & roll to shimmering jazz, country, blues and folk, this compilation on the Viper label plays out like the ultimate road trip mixtape, bringing together Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Woody Guthrie, Nat 'King' Cole and Jerry Lee Lewis to name but a few. Here we are in Harlem. Discover what's missing in your discography and shop for Viper's Nest releases. [16], Reefer madness: the history of marijuana in America, Duty, Honor, Applause: America's Entertainers in World War II, The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_You%27re_a_Viper&oldid=993716740, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 02:49. Viper Publications Welcome to the Viper Publications website. [2] Howard slowed the song's tempo considerably, and rewrote significant portions of the vocal melody (for example, the line "bust your conk on peppermint candy"). View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2012 320 kbps File release of How Long on Discogs. "[8], In response to Anslinger's calls for "swing band" arrests Waller decided to record "If You're a Viper," and included an intro that threw only the thinnest of veils over the song's subject. With infectious rhythm, spirited horns, and a diverse line-up of vocals, they are all that is swing and all that is New Orleans. Shop viper sheet music, music books, music scores & more at Sheet Music Plus, the World's Largest Selection of Sheet Music. It was first recorded by Smith and his Onyx Club Boys in 1936. These two factors left V-Discs with about six minutes per side (rather than the more typical 3–4 minutes), which gave musicians the ability to record an additional song, or play an extended take, or banter with their unseen audience. "If You're a Viper" (sometimes titled "If You'se a Viper") is a jazz song composed by Stuff Smith. Explore releases from the Viper's Nest label. [8] During World War II it was harder to get American records pressed, because of a shellac shortage created by the war effort. In its early history the song was identified with Rosetta Howard's 1937 recording and sometimes still is. Fats Waller, who recorded the song in 1943 for a V-Disc session, closely followed the Howard arrangement, and his version, which has been commercially released numerous times since the 1950s, has kept the song in circulation. "Mighty Mezz" refers to Milton Mezzrow, a Jewish saxophone and clarinet player who became enamored with black American culture while playing in the speakeasies of prohibition-era Chicago. Simic said, 'Like Ornette Coleman: Everything done so wrong, but sounding so right.' She has been teaching for over 15 years and taught middle school in both Denton ISD and more recently, Frisco ISD. She has been nominated for "Teacher of the Year" by her peers, placed in the top 10 for the TMEA Honor Full Orchestra, and commissioned new music. Dali and Buñuel would read Viper Jazz and say, 'Dude, that was the idea.' Styles "This brash disdain for the square world's imperatives was nowhere demonstrated more clearly than in the conduct of Fats Waller. Jazz Lunatique 226: Song Of The Vipers. James Tate Talking Blues Let it be known that flarf has existed since at least 1972. Waller's 1943 recording of the song (titled "The Reefer Song" in its eventual release) was a subtle poke at Harry Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who had declared marijuana use by swing musicians a menace and had promised to prosecute. "If You're a Viper" (originally released under the title "You'se a Viper", and sometimes titled "If You'se a Viper") is a jazz song composed by Stuff Smith. "Viper's Drag" was written as a dance tune for a ragtime dance called a slow drag, often shortened to "drag" by songwriters of the day. Official sheet music for "Viper's Drag" (Fats Waller) for piano - PDF download, instant print & online streaming - ♪ audio samples (video) ♫ Key: D Minor ♬ Category: Jazz & Blues It was first recorded by Smith and his Onyx Club Boys in 1936 and released as the b-side to the song "After You've Gone". In the 1930s, viper songs celebrating the use of marijuana become the rage of the jazz world, including ‘Muggles’ (Louis Armstrong), “Sweet Marijuana Brown” (Benny Goodman), Viper Mad (Sydney Bechet), “That Funny Reefer Man” (Cab Calloway), “Viper’s Drag” (Fats Waller), or “Gimme a Pigfoot” (Bessie Smith). Then he consumed the second bottle, and out of the 22 songs, we only used about 8 or 9 of them, because he got very sloppy and started using a few words you shouldn't use. [9] Due to the shellac shortage, the V-Discs were recorded on a new material, vinylite (a precursor to the vinyl that would become standard in the recording industry), that allowed for narrower grooves. Edinburgh-based Viper Swing plays hot string jazz: infectious rhythms, joyful improvisations, and gravelly vocals blend to evoke the swing-era spirit of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. "The reefer cats were aware of their outcast status; in fact, they seemed to relish it. Viper Swing. on The Worlds Greatest Jazz Band Videos Close Queen - Greatest Hits (1) [1 hour long] New Orleans Jazz Band New Orleans Jazz Vipers - "Sister kate" Grand Dominion Jazz Band "Viper Mad" Tinashe - Company Read about The Viper by Dixieland and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. 523 likes. [15] In Nathanael West's 1939 novel The Day of the Locust, the character Faye Greener sings the song while drunk. Viper's Drag by World's Greatest Jazz Band. The song was a hit for Smith[1] and is one of the most frequently covered songs about marijuana smoking in American popular music. Edward Jablonski wrote that the term was inspired "by the hissing intake of smoke"[4] and Russel Cronin wrote, "Conjure the image of the hissing viper for a second: taking a swift, sly suck on a skinny little joint. 6 0. [14] The writer Maya Angelou recalled her mother, who did not smoke the stuff herself, often singing Viper as a way of pointing out the prevalence and acceptance of marijuana smoking in the "black ghetto" in the 1930s and 1940s. Gypsy jazz & string swing, based in Edinburgh http://www.viperswing.com High Times magazine ranked Viper number 14 among the 25 Pot Songs of All Time in 2002. "Ain't Misbehavin'" got pressed, but not "You're A Viper (The Reefer Song)," it says. Viper. Everybody's here but the police, and they'll be here any minute. Waller decided to use the occasion as a way to reflect his puckish contempt for the man. idealessness. It was first recorded by Smith and his Onyx Club Boys in 1936 and released as the b-side to the song "After You've Gone". Share. "[5] As Mezzrow later put it: "Some of our musician pals used to stick these hip phrases into their songs when they broadcast over the radio, because they knew we'd be huddled around the radio in the Barbeque and that was their way of saying hello to me and all the vipers. She is excited to return to Denton and become a new member of the Viper Band! 83 pages. The "V-Disc" program began during a musicians strike that was leaving America's biggest stars idle, and the Army leaned on the musicians union to make an exception for the V-Discs, which they did. The stronger Mexican marijuana that he introduced to the jazz scene in Harlem came to be known simply as "Mezz. Stream songs including "Cleopatra and the Viper (feat. Winning a Gypsy music festival (in Strasbourg) at the age of twelve gave him the opportunity to tour in Germany and later on, to record his live performance on the double LP Route to Django. powder, snow white powder High as a tower and ready to fall To the street like a viper (Like a viper) (Like a viper) (Like a viper) I write songs. Check out Dixie Land: New Orleans Jazz by Paul Lenart and Billy Novick on Amazon Music. It comes from a music library called Associated Production Music. The song captures some of the slang and culture surrounding marijuana smoking in the US jazz scene in the 1920s and 1930s. ... & Country Funk / Soul Hip Hop Jazz Latin Non-Music Pop Reggae Rock Spiritual Stage & Screen. But in 1943 Armed Forces Radio frequently invited jazz musicians to play for the troops overseas and made "V-Discs" ("Victory Discs") for distribution as a morale booster. Viper Mad Lyrics: Just viper mad / Must have my fun / I'm never sad / It can't be done / The people are talking / But I don't care / I'm 21, far from done / I've just begun / Wrap your chops / ' Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. World's Largest Sheet Music Selection. [10], Waller recorded a V-Disc a little over two-weeks after Anslinger vowed to go after pot-smoking musicians (he and others believed that some musicians were deliberately smoking marijuana to obtain "drug addict" deferments to avoid the draft). The self-described "voluntary negro" moved to Harlem after prohibition ended, and in his early years there was known more for his drug-dealing than his playing. by Radio Free Amsterdam Follow. His last recordings... included "The Reefer Song," an ode to marijuana. "[11] Duty, Honor, Applause, a book about US entertainers during WWII, also strongly implies that Viper did not make the cut. History/Background. John Sinclair Radio Show 808: Crawfish Gumbo, THE SOUL LUCILLE SHOW 280 – EVERLASTING LOVE, BIG CITY BLUES CRUISE 034 – HIGH HEAD BLUES, SOUNDS OF BLUE 276 – WALKING WITH THE BLUES, BLUES EDITION 37 – MY HEART IS HANGIN’ HEAVY, BLUESTIME INTERNATIONAL 73 – DRINKING AND THINKING, FLY BY NIGHT 396 – MAYAN MAXIMUS ARKESTRA, JOHN SINCLAIR RADIO SHOW 893 – JUST BECAUSE, THE SOUL LUCILLE SHOW 279 – SLIPPERY WHEN WET, BIG CITY BLUES CRUISE 033 – ROCKING AFTER MIDNIGHT, SOUNDS OF BLUE 275 – WALKING WITH THE BLUES. "Viper" was Harlem slang for a pot smoker at the time and the song has numerous marijuana references. An article in Goldmine, a magazine for record collectors, says the army did not press the Viper recording for release to the troops. "[5], Smith's song was not the only one to refer to Viper culture in the 1930s. Use the Writers link to the left to see a list of writers and their compositions. Whether on a festival stage or at an intimate cocktail reception, the band sets toes to tapping, hips to swaying, and hearts to singing. Though later recordings often render the first two lines of the song as Think about a reefer, 5 feet long/Not too heavy, not too strong both Smith's original recording and Fats Waller's more famous 1943 cut have the second line as Mighty Mezz, and not too strong. Find information about "viper" listen to "viper" on AllMusic. If You're a Viper: The Great Excelsior Jazz Band: 1976: If You're a Viper: Kermit Ruffins: 1994: If You Are a Viper: Jever Mountain Boys: 1994: If You're a Viper (Blissful Mix) Exit-13 featuring Bliss Blood: 1996: If You's a Viper (Reefer Song) Bubblin' Toorop Trio: 1997: The Reefer Song: The Chazz Cats: 1998: You's a Viper: Alex Chilton: 1999: If You're a Viper Published by Distributed by The Wayfarer Partnership, LLC. Censors thought the other thirteen "too risque for young GI's ears,' wrote Gregory Spears in a December 23, 1990, article for the Houston Chronicle. A viper is a toker, which practically all jazz musicians were, and the viper songs celebrated a new social hero. The discs were also pressed at 12 inches rather than 10, the industry standard at the time. This episode of Jazz Lunatique was produced by David Kunian for the Overnight Jazz program and originally broadcast on WWOZ-FM in New Orleans during the Louis Armstrong Festival in August 2001 in commemoration of Pops’ life-long devotion to marijuana … That mellow Mexican leaf really started something in Harlem."[7]. I just left the V-Disc studio. Songs and lyrics from ReverbNation Artist The Viper Kidz, Hip Hop music from Sidikalang, ID on ReverbNation "The gumshoes at the Bureau and the Army brass let that one slip right by them, but the guys in the barracks caught the drift, especially those stationed in the Philippines, where the weed was said to be excellent," Sloman writes. The song has been performed by Waller and countless other jazz artists, including Cab Calloway, who recorded a big band swing version of the tune on November 12, 1930 as song 10246-1 on the DOMINO label, … It's high time, so catch this song," Waller says. Listen to Cleopatra and the Viper (feat. A 'viper' is a toker, which practically all jazz musicians were and the viper songs celebrated a new social hero: the dude who supplied the inspirational herb that made the rent parties go with a … Apple music the police, and he started playing the piano, and they 'll be here any.! He was okay for a pot smoker at the time and the by! 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