Viper's Drag
"Viper's Drag" is a stride piano composition by the jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Thomas "Fats" Waller.[1]
History/Background[]
"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.[2]
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, album 4686[3][4] and Judy Carmichael, who recorded it for her Grammy award-nominated on the Progressive label in 1980.[5]
There are two versions by New Orleans piano masters Henry Butler and Allen Toussaint. It is the title cut to an album by Henry Butler/Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9, on Impulse (2014)</ref>. It can also be found on "American Tunes"—the final recording from New Orleans jazz and R&B pianist Allen Toussaint, released on Nonesuch Records on June 10, 2016.
Appears on[]
"Viper's Rag" appears on the following recordings:[6]
- , Fats Waller, RCA Victor, 1970, 2:48
- , Fats Waller, RCA, 1978
- , Fats Waller Pegasus/Pinnacle, 1986
- , Fats Waller RCA Bluebird/BMG, 1987, 2:58
- , Fats Waller, 1990, 2:25
- , Fats Waller, RCA, 1991, 2:56
- , Fats Waller, Naxos Jazz/ , 1992, 2:59
- , Fats Waller, Pearl, 1993, 3:01
- , Fats Waller, 1993,
- , Fats Waller BMG, 1995,
- , Fats Waller, ASV/, 1995, 3:07
- , Fats Waller, RCA Camden, 1997, 2:59
- , Fats Waller, , 1997,
- , Fats Waller EPM, 1997, 2:58
- , Various artists, Gallerie, 1998, 2:57
- , Fats Waller, , 1999,
- , Fats Waller, Proper / , 1999, 3:00
- , Fats Waller, Collectors' Choice Music, 2000, 2:58
- , Various artists, Tokuma, 2001, 2:57
- , Fats Waller, BMG, 2001,
- , Fats Waller, , 2001, 2:26
- , Fats Waller, , 2002, 2:58
- , Fats Waller, , 2003, 2:58
- , Various artists, Pastels, 2003, 3:01
- , Fats Waller , 2004, 2:58
- , Fats Waller, , 2004, 2:58
- ASV/, 2004, 2:58
- , Fats Waller, Fuel 2000, 2004, 2:23
- , Fats Waller, , 2004, 3:00
- , Fats Waller, , 2005, 2:57
- , Judy Carmichael, Progressive, 1980
- , Fats Waller, Bluebird/Legacy, 2006, 2:58
- , Fats Waller, Fuel 2000, 2006, 2:23
- , Fats Waller, , 2006, 2:58
- , Fats Waller Sony BMG, 2008, 2:58
- (Box Set), Fats Waller, Sony BMG, 2008, 2:58
- , Various artists, , 2008,
- , Fats Waller , 2010, 2:23
- , Fats Waller, , 2010, 2:54
- , Fats Waller, Jazzland, 2010, 2:57
- , Fats Waller, History, 2010, 2:57
- , Fats Waller, , 2010,
- , Various artists, , 2010, 2:57
- , Various artists, Jazzland, 2010, 2:57
- , Various artists, , 2010, 3:02
- , Various artists, 2010, 2:56
- , Various artists, 2010, 3:08
- Viper's Drag, Henry Butler/Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9, on Impulse (2014) 6:46
- , Allen Toussaint, 2016, (Nonesuch) 3:18
References[]
- ^ Thomas "Fats" Waller Songwriters' Hall of Fame (website)
- ^ Ragtime Defined Arthur Collins
- ^ Print data on YouTube video
- ^ Jazz On Line (website)
- ^ Two-Handed Stride - Allmusic.com
- ^ Viper's Rag - Fats Waller - AllMusic.com
- Piano compositions by American composers
- Cab Calloway songs