The Jitterbug Vipers specialize in a cult jazz offshoot called “viper jazz,” a screeching U-Turn back to the party where jazz music packed the dance floor and dazzled the audience with brilliant streams of improvisatory musicianship.
Steeped in the ribald wit, quaint sophistication, and graceful virtuosity of classic artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie, the Jitterbug Vipers make the sound their own. “We don’t think of ourselves as a jazz band,” says bassist Francie Meaux Jeaux. “We think of ourselves as a 1930s rock band. We just wail.” Raucous and refined, toking and swinging, the Austin-based quartet draws the crowd into its heady bliss whenever and wherever it takes the stage.
Most modern takes on the 20s and 30s feel stiff and rehearsed, long shackled by nostalgia and overly reverent revivalism. But the Jitterbug Vipers’ “swingadelic” tunes are a different story, full of energy and genuine surprises. Phoebe’s Dream captures the band at the peak of their powers, slinky and sultry, but also lighthearted and fun.
Upcoming Tour Dates
Outside of ATX:
September 12
The Jazz Station
Eugene, OR
September 14
The Alhambra Theatre
Portland, OR
September 15
House Show
Seattle, WA
October 22
The Hotel Cafe
Los Angeles, CA
November 9
Rice Festival
Fischer, TX
November 28
Green Note
London, England
November 30
Live Theatre
Newcastle, England
December 1
Hare & Hounds
Birmingham, England
December 2
The Musician
Leicester, England