The Brian Setzer Orchestra

In each generation a devoted enthusiast revives earlier musical fashions and attitudes for fresh audiences. Brian Setzer accomplished this feat on two occasions, first steering the Stray Cats, the trio responsible for returning rockabilly to the charts in the 1980s, and later fueling the swing revival of the 1990s through the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Both styles traced their roots to the 1950s, the decade that witnessed the birth of rockabilly and the peak popularity of the jump blues Setzer favored from Louis Prima and Big Joe Turner. Although the Stray Cats adhered closely to the driving rhythm of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, Setzer later blended these influences as a solo performer, applying rockabilly guitar lines to a swinging pulse. This energetic approach attracted a devoted audience that included numerous younger followers and sustained a thriving career well into the new millennium, something many of his heroes never enjoyed.

Cochran, Vincent, Elvis, and Carl Perkins figured prominently in Setzer’s work, yet as a youth on Long Island he first embraced big-band jazz. His initial instrument was the euphonium, which he played in various school jazz ensembles. He also frequented legendary venues such as the Village Vanguard while cultivating an interest in blues-rock and punk that ultimately guided him toward rockabilly. After taking up guitar he formed the Tomcats in 1979 alongside drummer Gary Setzer and Bob Beecher, the latter a former bandmate from the Bloodless Pharaohs. As his passion for rockabilly deepened, Setzer focused on the Tomcats, which became the Stray Cats once bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom joined in late 1979.

Believing America remained unprepared for their brand of rock & roll, the Stray Cats sailed to London in June 1980, selling equipment to finance the crossing. Within months they drew the notice of roots-rock figure Dave Edmunds, who had coincidentally performed in a band called the Stray Cats in the 1973 film That’ll Be the Day. Edmunds produced their self-titled 1981 Arista debut, which succeeded thanks to the singles “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut.” Its 1982 follow-up, Gonna Ball, fared less well, yet selections from both albums were compiled for the American release Built for Speed. Heavy MTV exposure for those two singles transformed Built for Speed into a domestic success, clearing the path for 1983’s Rant n Rave with the Stray Cats, which yielded the major hit “(She’s) Sexy + 17” and the minor hit “I Won’t Stand in Your Way.”

After the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, Setzer worked as a sideman for several rock artists, most notably joining Robert Plant’s oldies outfit the Honeydrippers on tour. He began a solo career in 1986 with The Knife Feels Like Justice, an album aligned with mid-1980s heartland rock that produced no hits. That same year he rejoined the Stray Cats for Rock Therapy, another commercial disappointment. Live Nude Guitars arrived in 1988 and edged closer to Stray Cats territory without finding listeners. A further reunion yielded three albums over four years, beginning with 1989’s Blast Off!, supported by a tour opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan; the record peaked at number 111 on Billboard and led to EMI dropping the band in the United States. The group next collaborated with Nile Rodgers on 1990’s Let’s Go Faster!, issued on Liberation to scant notice, then returned to earlier sounds for 1992’s Choo Choo Hot Fish, their final project with original producer Dave Edmunds.

With the Stray Cats finished, Setzer turned to a new project, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, reshaping his rockabilly energy for the neo-swing movement. The self-titled debut appeared on Hollywood in 1994 and reached number 158 on the charts. Corporate changes moved him to Interscope, which released Guitar Slinger in 1996; that album failed to chart yet prepared the ground for 1998’s The Dirty Boogie. The latter became a major success on the strength of a hit version of Louis Prima’s “Jump Jive & Wail,” which climbed to number 23 while the album itself reached number nine on the Billboard 200. Although Setzer never repeated those peaks—the 2000 follow-up Vavoom! stopped at number 62—he settled into a comfortable niche, issuing numerous swinging big-band recordings in the new millennium. These included at least five seasonal albums and swinging adaptations of classical works, most appearing on SurfDog Records. He occasionally stepped outside the Orchestra to revisit rockabilly, starting with 2003’s Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy, continuing through Rockabilly Riot, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records in 2005, and extending to 2014’s Rockabilly Riot! All Original. In November 2017 Setzer marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brian Setzer Orchestra with the limited-edition Record Store Day single 25 Live!, featuring “Gene & Eddie” and “Let There Be Rock.”