The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn
Jazz Band in Brooklyn, NY
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Why hire The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn?
The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn are an early jazz, swing, and blues band, composed of acoustic guitar/vocals, upright bass, homemade washboard percussion, trumpet and saxophone. Their repertoire of witty songs from 1920's and 30's is augmented by original tunes with moving yet often bawdy lyrics and catchy 4 part vocal harmony.
Featured in New York Magazine Weddings “The Ultimate New York Wedding Planer” “The Best Bands” Winter 2010
About
“I Love them. They set a great tone for any event.” Bette Midler 5/2010
“The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn provided fantastic entertainment.” Willie Nelson 6/2007
For those seeking fresh and exciting live entertainment for their event, look no further than one of the most acclaimed bands in New York City – The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn! The band’s repertoire is a fabulous collection of high energy jazz and swing from the 1920′s & 30′s, cool classic blues and R&B, New Orleans & Dixieland plus a little bit of vintage country and western swing when called for. Their music is a perfect addition to a variety of social events including cocktail parties, wedding receptions, dinner parties, corporate events, fund raisers and swing dances.
The Blue Vipers range in size from a quartet of vocals/guitar, upright bass, trumpet or saxophone/clarinet, and washboard percussion, to as large as a septet or octet which adds more horns including saxophones and trombone, lead electric guitar and/or piano.
Notable Performances
2012 – Benefit Concert for The St. Louis Symphony, St. Louis MO, 57 Annual Obies, Webster Hall NYC; A Little Light Music and More At Lincoln Center, David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center; Concerts At One, Trinity Wall Street
2011 – 56 Annual Obies, Webster Hall NYC; opening for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Bethlehem P.A.
2010 – Target Free Thursdays David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project 15th Birthday ‘Hulaween’ Party at The Waldorf Astoria featuring Paul Simon, Bette Midler’s NYRP Picnic hosted by Nathan Lane. The Vipers’ performance was personally requested by Bette Midler; appeared performing in a May episode of MTV’s “The City”; American Roots Music Symposiums, Gruyeres Switzerland
2009 – Frankie Manning’s 95th Birthday Festival, Manhattan Center Studios; Hogg’s Breath, Green Parrot, Blue Heaven, Key West FL; Target First Saturday Festival, The Brooklyn Museum; Wedding reception for Lisa Loeb, New York City
2008 – The Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY; Tropical Heatwave Festival, Tampa, Florida; Long Beach Jazz Festival, Long Beach NY; Bayshore Harbor Festival, Bayshore NY; Brooklyn Public Library Concert Series; Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition Art show; Pierson Park Jazz Concerts, Tarrytown NY; Fort Green Market Concerts, Brooklyn NY; Garrison Art Center Fair, Garrison NY; Ukiah Sundays in the Park Festival, Ukiah CA; Summer Nights! Live Concert Series, Windsor CA; Roots Americana Festival, San Jose CA; Babylon Village Arts Festival, Babylon NY; Summer Hummer Concert Series, Wynnewood PA; featured on WAMC Northeast Public Radio show “Performance Place” Tropical Heatwave Festival, Tampa, Florida
2007 – “Soundcheck” with John Schaefer on WNYC radio; “Hey Mr. Jesse” featured on Yehoodi.com radio; September Concert” commemorating 911; “Keep America Growing” sponsored by Farm Aid, NYC. The Vipers played for Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Farm Aid board of directors; the 2nd and 3rd annual “People Building Peace Concert” sponsored by Peace Boat at the United Nations in NYC
2006- “Lincoln Center Out Of Doors Roots of American Music Festival,” Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC
Personnel
Billy Nemec: Guitar/lead vocals
Chris Pistorino: Upright Bass/vocals
David Langlois: Washboard Percussion/vocals
Sam Hoyt: Trumpet/vocals
Tom Abbott: Saxophone. Clarinet
Influences
Here are only a few of our diverse influences:
Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Nick LaRocca & the members of the "Original Dixieland Jazz Band", Jelly Roll Morton, Joe "King" Oliver, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Willie Nelson.
What to Expect
Typical Gig Duration: 60 - 360 minutes
Depends on the gig/venue.
Stage/Setup Requirements:
Contact for info.
Additional Notes:
Contact for info.
Set/Song/Sequence List:
The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn
Repertoire list:
Tempos are generally interchangeable. ie. Medium tempos can be Ballads or Medium Up. Etc.
A Rollin and A Tumblin (Up Blues)
After You’ve Gone (Medium Tempo/Up Tempo)
Ain’t She Sweet (Trad Jazz instrumental)
Ain’t Misbehavin’(Medium Slow Tempo)
Alabama Jubilee (Medium Tempo)
All Of Me (Medium Tempo)
All Night Long (Blues)
Amazing Grace (Gospel)
Avalon (Up Tempo)
Atlanta Blues/Pallet on the Floor (Traditional Jazz)
Baby Face (Medium Up Swing)
Backwater Blues (Blues)
Basin Street Blues (Bluesy)
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Up Tempo)
Bill Bailey (Medium Up Tempo)
Blue Monday (Classic New Orleans Style R&B)
Blue Moon (Medium Tempo)
Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Slow Country 2 Best Feel)
Blue Skies (Medium Tempo, Medium Slow Tempo)
Blues In My Heart (Bluesy)
Bring It On Home To Me (R & B)
Burn Your Playhouse Down (Country)
Bye Baby Bye (Bllues)
Bye Bye Blackbird (Medium Tempo)
Bye Bye Blues (Medium Up Tempo)
Chinatown (Up Tempo)
Carry Me Back To Old Virginny (Traditional Jazz instrumental)
Crazy (Medium Country)
Crazy About My Baby (Up Tempo)
Cupid (R & B)
Diga Diga Doo (Up Tempo)
Dinah(Up Tempo)
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (Ballad)
Don’t Leave Me Now (New Orleans Style R&B/Early Rock and Roll)
Don’t Pretend (Blues original)
Down By The Riverside (Gospel)
Dream a Little Dream Of Me (Medium Slow)
Evening (Medium Tempo)
Exactly Like You (Medium Up Tempo)
Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue (Medium Tempo)
Five Guys Named Moe (Up Tempo)
Folsom Prison Blues (Blues)
Forty Days And Forty Nights(Original)
Foolin’ Myself (Medium Tempo)
Gangster Of Love (Blues)
Georgia On My Mind (Ballad)
Get Yourself Job Girl (Blues)
Glory Land (Gospel)
Good Night Irene (Waltz)
Half As Much (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Hardheaded Woman (Blues)
Hey Good Lookin (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Hindustan (Up Tempo)
Honest I Do (Blues)
Honeysuckle Rose (Medium Up Tempo)
I Ain’t Got Nobody (Medium Tempo)
I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me (Ballad)
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Medium Tempo)
I Found a New Baby (Traditional Jazz instrumental)
I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good (Medium Tempo)
I Got Rhythm (Traditional Jazz instrumental)
I’ll Fly Away (Gospel)
I’ll See You In My Dreams (Medium Up Tempo)
I’m Confessin’ (Medium Slow Tempo)
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (Medium Ballad)
I’m Sitting On Top Of The World (Up Tempo)
I’m In The Mood For Love (Medium Slow Tempo)
I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (Medium Tempo)
Ice Cream (Up Tempo)
If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight (Medium Tempo)
Indiana (Up Tempo)
It Had To Be You (Medium Tempo)
It’s Only A Paper Moon (Medium Tempo)
It’s Rainin (Bluesy)
Just A Gigolo (Medium Tempo)
Lady Be Good (Up Tempo)
Lazy River (Medium Slow)
Let it Roll (Blues)
Lime House Blues (Traditional Jazz instrumental)
Long Distance Information (Blues)
Mack The Knife (Swing instrumental)
Margie (Up Tempo)
Mean to Me (Medium Tempo)
Me, Myself and I (Medium Tempo)
Memphis Tennessee (Blues)
Moonlight Bay (Medium Slow)
My Blue Heaven (Medium Tempo)
My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Nadine (Blues original)
Nevertheless I’m In Love With You (Medium Tempo)
Nightlife (Ballad)
On The Road Again(Country 2 Beat Feel)
On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Medium Tempo)
Pennies From Heaven (Medium Tempo)
Perdon (Spanish)
Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone (Medium Up Tempo)
Porter’s Love Song to a Chambermaid (Medium Tempo)
Cupid (R &B)
Ragg Mopp (Blues)
Rock Me Baby (Blues)
Rollin and a Tumblin (Rockin Blues)
Rosetta (Up Tempo)
Runaway (Oldie)
Save The Bones For Henry Jones (Medium Tempo)
Shake, Rattle And Roll (Blues)
Sheik Of Araby (Up Tempo)
Shine (Up Tempo)
Shine On Harvest Moon (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Singin’ In The Bathtub (Medium Tempo)
Sittin’ On Top Of The World (Slow Bluesy 2 Beat Feel)
Skylark (Ballad)
Sleepy Time Down South (Traditional Jazz instrumental)
Slow Boat To China (Medium slow Tempo)
Smile (Ballad)
Some Of These Days (Up Tempo)
Somebody Loves Me (Up Tempo)
Southern Can (Country 2 Beat Feel)
St. James Infirmary (Ballad)
St. Louis Blues (Blues)
Stardust (Ballad)
Stay All Night (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Stealin’ Stealin’(Country 2 Beat Feel)
Struttin’ With Some BBQ (Trad Jazz instrumental)
Summertime (Medium Slow Tempo)
Sweet Dreams (Ballad)
Sweet Georgia Brown (Up Tempo)
Sweet Home Chicago (Blues)
Sweet Lorraine (Ballad)
Sweet Sue (Up Tempo)
Take Me Back To Tulsa (Country 2 Beat Feel)
That’s A Plenty (Up Tempo)
That’s Alright Mama (Blues)
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise (Up Tempo)
Them There Eyes (Swing)
Thunderstorms and Neon Signs (2 Beat Feel)
Tiger Rag (Up Tempo)
Trouble With Me (Country 2 Beat Feel)
Turn Back Now (R & B)
Turn Me Loose (New Orleans style R&B)
Up, Up and Away (Blues)
Washington And Lee Swing (Up Tempo)
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (Medium Up Tempo)
What A Wonderful World (Ballad)
What A Wonderful World This Would Be (R & B)
When You’re Smiling (Medium Tempo)
When Doves Cry (Prince played in 2 Beat Feel)
You Can Depend On Me (Ballad)
You Send Me (R&B Ballad)
CDs For Sale
Forty Days and Forty Nights
Good Night Harry
Permanent Magic
Permanent Magic
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Available for Your
Anniversary Party, Awards Night, Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party, Bar/Lounge, Birthday Party, Casino, Club/Nightclub, Competition, Concert Venue, Convention, Corporate Event, Cruise, Dinner Dance, Ethnic Celebration, Festival, Fundraiser, Graduation, Grand Opening, Hotel, Launch Party, Private Party, Prom, Religious Celebration, Restaurant, Sporting Event, Studio Session, Trade Show, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception
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