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Former Stray
Cat Brian Setzer was born in New York City and raised in Long Island.
His first instrument, at age eight, was the euphonium, and he played
the tuba-like instrument for ten years. He began having dreams of leading
a big band with horns as a teen, but got sidetracked by punk. Initially,
as a guitarist and songwriter, he took his inspiration from blues-rock
bands like Led Zeppelin, although as a teen he'd take the train into
New York to hang around the jazz clubs, sneaking into places like the
Village Vanguard and the Village Gate. After seeing the Mel Lewis Orchestra,
he had the idea of leading his own big band, but playing guitar, not
clarinet or saxophone.
In the early '80s, Setzer formed the Stray Cats, a rockabilly band that
took England by storm and then came back home to convert audiences in
the U.S. The Stray Cats' U.S. breakthrough album was Built for Speed,
which spurred three separate Top Ten hits, including "Stray Cat Strut,"
"Rumble in Brighton," and "Rock This Town." On tour with the Stray Cats,
Setzer practiced jazz chords and listened to the recordings of Gene
Krupa, Benny Goodman and other big-band leaders; finally, after the
group's demise and a largely unsuccessful turn as a solo roots-rocker,
Setzer formed a 17-piece big band in Los Angeles for a series of club
dates. After cutting an album of cover material with the big band for
a smaller label, Setzer jumped to Interscope Records, where he worked
with legendary producer Phil Ramone as well as Clash co-founder Joe
Strummer, with whom he collaborated on 1996's Guitar Slinger, an album
blending jump blues and swing Texas blues. Dirty Boogie followed in
1998 and Vavoom! was released in 2000 and Ignition appeared the next
spring. In 2002, Setzer added a Christmas album (Boogie Woogie Christmas)
to his resume, followed by the greatest hits anthology Jump, Jive an'
Wail: The Best of the Brian Setzer Orchestra 1994-2000. He released
a Japanese EP in 2003, the Sinatra-inspired Luck Be a Lady as a prelude
to the rocking and decidedly horn-deficiant full-length Nitro Burnin'
Funny Daddy. Rockabilly Riot, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records followed
in 2005, and Setzer closed out the year with the seasonal effort Dig
That Crazy Christmas.
This
bio courtesy www.allmusic.com
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