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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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