The Vipers Featuring Deb Cleveland

Review in RootsTown Music Free-zine 83 - 2004


The Vipers Ftg. Deb Cleveland / Tickle My Toes / Vipertoons Productions VIP0401 (www.vipersnet.com)
Voor ondergetekende is ‘t altijd een beetje reikhalzend uitkijken naar een nieuwe release van deze Vipers: ik kan mij namelijk mentaal makkelijk verplaatsen naar de studio of de club waar een bluesband aan het opnemen is, tenminste als het gaat om een band van het niveau van The Vipers. Of ze hun platen nu live opnemen of in de studio, je hoort nauwelijks het verschil. Dat komt natuurlijk omdat het gaat om een verzameling van door de wol geverfde bandleden, die hun instrumenten méér dan beheersen. Maar los daarvan, ook de groove die zij aan een plaat kunnen meegeven: in een traditionele bezetting van gitaar/bas/drums/harmonica spelen zij de blues zoals die gespeeld moet worden. Rechttoe rechtaan, no-nonsense, niet te veel krulletjes en bochtjes, maar spelen voor wat je waard bent. Op de nieuwe plaat krijgt deze band uit Eugene, Oregon, vocale bijstand van zangeres Deb Cleveland, een dame die het uiterlijk heeft van een gemiddelde Europese kleerkast en die beschikt over een navenante scheur. Onze voorouders hadden het vroeger wel eens over “een stem als een klok”, in dat verband. Het repertoire dan: dat bestaat overwegend uit goed gekozen covers, aangevuld met een paar originals en je kan er donder op zeggen dat “having a good time” het leidmotief was bij deze opnames. Van Got My Mojo Working over Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, via Hard Times en Congo Mombo, tot Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues en I Ain’t Drunk, I Just Been Drinking, ze staan er allemaal op. Is dit nu wereldschokkend? Bijlange niet. Is dit ‘nieuw’ of ‘onmisbaar’? Nog niet bijna. Is dit leuk? Zeer zeker, want goed gespeeld en dito gezongen. Willen we dit graag op een zomers festivalpodium? Absoluut. (DH)

I always eagerly look forward to new Vipers releases. It is easy for me to visualize blues bands of this caliber in the studio or on stage. You can easily tell the expertise and experience of these musicians. There's the authentic groove of the traditional guitar/base/drums/harmonica combination that plays the blues as it was meant to be played. Straight up, not too many diversions, no nonsense. On this release, the band features Deb Cleveland, who looks like the avarage European linen closet and comes with a huge voice. The repertoire is mostly well-chosen covers, along with some originals and you can tell that having a good time was a high priority when they recorded this. From Got My Mojo Working over Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, via Hard Times and Congo Mombo, to Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues and I Ain’t Drunk, I Just Been Drinking are all there. Is this earth shattering? Not at all. Is this new or indispensable? No. Is this enjoyable? Very much so, because it is done so well. Would we like to see these guys on a summer festival stage? Absolutely.
- www.members.tripod.com/RootsTown

The Vipers have been the band for several vocalists (male and female). Deb Cleveland was one of them. When she heard that The Vipers were looking for a new front man (woman) she immediately volunteered. This proves that she considered her 2002 tour with The Vipers to be a success. The first result on record of this cooperation is now in my cd player. The opening track "Ring Dang Dilly" strikes me because of its gospel quality. What a voice this lady has! There is also beautiful harp play by John Silvermoon. The song stick to your mind. "I Hate To See The Sun Go Down" shows the power of Deb Clevelands voice and a fine backing by guitar and harp. She sings on six of the thirteen songs and among these figures "Got My Mojo Working" by the late Sonny Boy Williamson. This song may be covered over and over a again but I have the feeling to hear a new song, delivered with much enthusiasm. The title track is a fine up tempo 12 bar blues, with guest musician Maurice McConnell on piano. The Vipers sure made a good deal by enlisting Deb Cleveland. This cd will remain in my cd player for a while! Can somebody please bring these people to Belgium so I can enjoy them live?
Reviewed by El Grande: el_grande65@hotmail.com
Info: Tickle My Toes / Vipertoon Productions / VIP 0401
Website: www.vipersnet.com
E-mail: vipers@teleport.com


Vipers (the) feat: Deb Cleveland - "Tickle My Toes": Full-cd – US
The Vipers staan bekend als begeleidingsband van verschillende zangers en zangeressen, zo ook Deb Cleveland. Toen deze hoorde dat The Vipers verlegen zaten voor een nieuwe frontman bood ze zichzelf spontaan aan. Dit mag voldoende bewijs zijn dat de Europese tournee die ze samen met The Vipers deed in 2002 meer dan geslaagd was voor haar. Het eerste resultaat van deze samenwerking zit nu in mijn cd-speler. Wat me dadelijk opvalt is de gospel die afstraalt van het openingsnummer ‘Ring Dang Dilly’. Wat een stem heeft deze dame. Verder ook lof voor het mooie bluesharpwerk van John Silvermoon. Het nummer blijft dadelijk in je hoofd zitten. In ‘I Hate To See The Sun Go Down’ komt de krachtige stem van Deb Cleveland mooi tot uiting samen met de klasse ondersteuning op gitaar en bluesharp. Zes van de dertien nummers neemt Deb Cleveland voor haar rekening, waaronder ook het nummer ‘Got My Mojo Working’ van wijlen Sonny Boy Williamson. Dit nummer mag dan al ontelbaar keer gecoverd zijn, toch krijg ik hier het gevoel een nieuwe song te horen, met volle overgave gebracht. De titeltrack is een mooie up-tempo 12 bar blues, aangevuld met gastmuzikant Maurice McConnell op piano. The Vipers hebben zeker een goede deal gedaan met Deb Cleveland in huis te halen. Deze cd zal nog even in m ’n speler blijven zitten. Kan iemand deze mensen naar België halen zodat ik ook live van al dit moois kan genieten?
Recensent - El Grande: el_grande65@hotmail.com
Info: Tickle My Toes / Vipertoon Productions / VIP 0401
Website: www.vipersnet.com / E-mail: vipers@teleport.com
- www.bobtjeblues.com

Vipers Featuring Deb Cleveland “Tickle My Toes” Vipertoons 2004. Los Vipers son una de las bandas de blues más prestigiosas del estado de Oregon, donde son sobradamente conocidos entre los aficionados a este género musical. A lo largo del tiempo han acompañado a un buen número de reconocidos músicos. En este nuevo trabajo encontramos a Jon a la armónica, Byron al bajo, Rick a la bateria y John a la guitarra, más la colaboración especial de Maurice a los teclados en cinco temas. Todos ellos realizan un perfecto soporte para que la voz especial de Deb Cleveland brille con luz propia en un disco plagado de buenas canciones, algunas de corte clásico y otras más contemporáneas, pero siempre amenas y entretenidas. Los Vipers son unos buenos ‘entertainers’ y saben bien cómo comunicarse con el público que fielmente acude a sus actuaciones. BUENO. The Vipers are one of the most prestigeous Oregon bands where they are very popular among blues lovers and fans. Along the years they have gained a good reputation as backing band of many well known artists there. In this new cd you will find Jon on harp. Byron on bass, Rick on drums and John on guitar plus Maurice on keyboards as a special guest in five tracks. All them give the perfect support to make the original Deb Cleveland voice shine at a very high level on a record with very good tunes, some of them on a more ‘traditional’ line and the rest on a very contemporary conception but always well played and joyful. The Vipers are excellent entertainers and they well know how to communicate with the audience who faithfully go to their shows. VERY GOOD. - http://www.lahoradelblues.com/criticas

The Northwest corner of the United States has produced some memorable musical talents in the blues, as well as other musical genres. The names of Jimi Hendrix, Paul DeLay and David Jacobs-Strain and Henry Vestine are among a host of musical notables from the region. This thriving musical hotbed provides another blues combo to be heard outside of the Northwest, The Vipers.
The Vipers are a Eugene, Oregon based combo that has supported some of the best blues artists in the Northwest, and in fact was founded by the late Henry Vestine and current harpman, Jon Silvermoon. The current Vipers’ lineup includes Silvermoon, along with John “Guitar” Ward (guitar), Byron Case (bass), Rick Markstrom (drums), with the capable Deb Cleveland serving as the current featured vocalist. Tickle My Toes is the third release by The Vipers, following Venom (1993) and Good Times Live! (2000) and the first with Cleveland as the featured vocalist.
One of the things that most stands out about Tickle My Toes is the quality of the musicianship throughout the recording. John Ward’s guitar is very smooth and provides some excellent lead breaks and tasty fills. Jon Silvermoon is equally talented on the harp, also providing some excellent solos and playing off of Ward’s guitar on several songs. The rhythm section of Byron Case and Rick Markstrom maintains a solid backbeat that helps to drive home each and every tune, creating the proper mood for each. The moods are also realized through the nice vocal interpretations of songs by Deb Cleveland (who provides lead vocals on nine of the fifteen songs) with lead vocals handled by Silvermoon, Markstrom and Case on four of the remaining five songs (“Congo Mambo” is an instrumental number).
Tickle My Toes opens with the catchy “Ring Dang Dilly”, a song with lyrics that continue to ring in my head, along with great guitar and harp work by Ward and Silvermoon respectively. Particularly entertaining is the following number, “I Hate to See the Sun Go Down,” that includes a powerful vocal delivery by Cleveland and more excellent guitar and harp work to set the tone of the song. The band also performs entertaining covers of the classic blues numbers “I Got My Mojo Working”, originally popularized by Muddy Waters and the Sonny Boy Williamson classic, “Good Morning Little School Girl” with vocals by drummer Rick Markstrom. John Ward’s talents as a guitarist are particularly notable on “Congo Mombo” a Guitar Gable original that features Ward’s tasty work. The covers of the classics “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues” by Ida Cox and “I Ain’t Drunk, I Just Been Drinking” by Joe Liggins are also well done and help to finish off the recording on a high note.
Tickle My Toes also includes four original numbers, most notably the title track of the CD, “Tickle My Toes”, a well done dirty blues song with lyrics that some may consider to be a bit ribald and kinky (in a good way, of course). Of the other three originals; vocals on “Going to the Vet’s Club” and “Letter to My Daughter” are handled by Jon Silvermoon, with vocals on “You Win In” handled by Rick Markstrom. Markstrom also provides lead vocals on the cover of Sonny Boy’s “Good Morning Little School Girl” and Byron Case takes lead vocals on Pee Wee Crayton’s “Tired of Travelin’”. The changing style of the vocal presentations by the male members of the band help to provide some additional variety to the mix of the songs on Tickle My Toes.
Tickle My Toes represents a fine effort by The Vipers and a memorable debut by featured vocalist Deb Cleveland. To pick up a copy of Tickle My Toes by mail, visit The Vipers website at www.vipersnet.com. This website also provides some good historical information on the band and background information on the current band lineup. Online orders of the CD can be made through www.nwblues.com for those who don’t want to hassle with the U. S. Postal Service.
- www.mnblues.com