Viper's Drag Explained

"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 Two-Handed Stride 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). 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 Memorial, Vol. 1, Fats Waller, RCA Victor, 1970, 2:48
• , Fats Waller, RCA, 1978
• You Rascal You, Fats Waller Pegasus/Pinnacle, 1986
• The Joint Is Jumpin', Fats Waller RCA Bluebird/BMG, 1987, 2:58
• , Fats Waller, 1990, 2:25
• , Fats Waller, RCA, 1991, 2:56
• , Fats Waller, Naxos Jazz/ Pro-Arte Records, 1992, 2:59
• The Cream Series, Fats Waller, Pearl, 1993, 3:01
• 1934-1935 Fats Waller, Fats Waller, 1993,
• , Fats Waller BMG, 1995,
• Ain't Misbehavin', Fats Waller, ASV/Living Era, 1995, 3:07
• ...Misbehavin', Fats Waller, RCA Camden, 1997, 2:59
• , Fats Waller, Membran, 1997,
• Piano Masterworks, Vol. 2 (1929-1943), Fats Waller EPM, 1997, 2:58
• A Portrait of Boogie Woogie Piano, Various artists, Gallerie, 1998, 2:57
• Masters of Jazz, Fats Waller, Cee-Dee, 1999,
• A Handful of Keys, Fats Waller, Proper / Proper Box, 1999, 3:00
• The Very Best of Fats Waller, Fats Waller, Collectors' Choice Music, 2000, 2:58
• Cradle of Jazz, Various artists, Tokuma, 2001, 2:57
• , Fats Waller, BMG, 2001,
• Associated Transcription Sessions, 1935-1939, Fats Waller, Jazz Unlimited, 2001, 2:26
• , Fats Waller, Frémeaux & Associés, 2002, 2:58
• Portrait, Vol. 1, Fats Waller, Documents Classics / The International Music Co., 2003, 2:58
• Totally Jazz Piano, Various artists, Pastels, 2003, 3:01
• Alligator Crawl, Fats Waller Universal Division Jazz, 2004, 2:58
• Fats Waller Stomp/Fractious Fingering, Fats Waller, Classic Jazz Music, 2004, 2:58
• Honeysuckle Rose ASV/Living Era, 2004, 2:58
• Happy Birthday Fats, Fats Waller, Fuel 2000, 2004, 2:23
• Truckin', Fats Waller, Proper Sales & Dist., 2004, 3:00
• , Fats Waller, Jazz Forever, 2005, 2:57
• Two-Handed Stride, Judy Carmichael, Progressive, 1980
• If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It!, Fats Waller, Bluebird/Legacy, 2006, 2:58
• An Introduction to Fats Waller, Fats Waller, Fuel 2000, 2006, 2:23
• Complete Victor Piano Solos, Fats Waller, Definitive Classics, 2006, 2:58
• , Fats Waller Sony BMG, 2008, 2:58
• Best of Fats Waller (Box Set), Fats Waller, Sony BMG, 2008, 2:58
• Royal Casino, Various artists, Makin Friends, 2008,
• , Fats Waller Fuel 2000 / Varèse Sarabande, 2010, 2:23
• , Fats Waller, Gralin Music, 2010, 2:54
• Fats Waller Anthology, Fats Waller, Jazzland, 2010, 2:57
• Believe in Miracles, Fats Waller, History, 2010, 2:57
• Fats Waller Piano Solos (1929-1941), Fats Waller, Jazz Tribune, 2010,
• , Various artists, Grammercy Records, 2010, 2:57
• , Various artists, Jazzland, 2010, 2:57
• Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, Various artists, Delta, 2010, 3:02
• The Ultimate Jazz Archive, Vol. 18, Various artists, 2010, 2:56
• The Ultimate Fats Waller Collection, Vol. 4 AP, Various artists, 2010, 3:08
• Viper's Drag, Henry Butler/Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9, on Impulse (2014) 6:46
• American Tunes, Allen Toussaint, 2016, (Nonesuch) 3:18

External links

• https://www.allmusic.com/song/vipers-drag-mt0053154424

Notes and References

1. http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C285 Thomas "Fats" Waller
2. http://www.grantholtcreative.com/oldportfolio/hccs/itsc1313/arthurcollins/ragtimedefined.html Ragtime Defined
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1FZethhr4 Print data on YouTube video
4. http://jazz-on-line.com/artists/Cab_Calloway.htm Jazz On Line
5. http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-handed-stride-mw0000900924 Two-Handed Stride
6. http://www.allmusic.com/song/vipers-drag-mt0028735847 Viper's Rag