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"Many of the tunes on Viper’s Drag knowingly mix music that is very up-to-date with other passages that glint with the rhythms or styles of early jazz. The arrangements are so intelligent, however, that the songs don’t sound like mash-ups. Inherent in both Butler’s piano style and Bernstein’s arrangements is a unity of yesterday and today." -Will Layman, Pop Matters "Butler’s stunning playing gets a good deal of the spotlight, and his soulful vocals (which are not nearly as spectacular as his fingers) take turns on ‘Buddy Bolden’s Blues,’ ‘I Left My Baby’—whose intro gets a mild reggae treatment—and ‘Some Iko,’ a reworking of ‘Iko Iko.’ Bernstein doesn’t do much soloing, but his real value here is his arranging, which is at least half the reason this disc is so good: It’s steeped in the past, but nothing about it feels old." - Steve Freenlee, JazzTimes Living legend of the classic New Orleans piano tradition Henry Butler and prolific arranger and composer Steven Bernstein join forces on Viper's Drag, leading the Hot 9 in a timeless romp through NOLA jazz with tunes by Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and originals from Butler. Bernstein's unique arranging style shimmers on this record, bringing a contemporary approach to these historic jazz pieces and linking the past with the present—a gentle reminder that jazz is alive and kicking.