Brian Setzer

The Gretsch-slinging cat who revived rockabilly and swing twice

Brian Setzer was born in Massapequa on Long Island and first played euphonium in school jazz bands, an early exposure to swing that would pay off decades later. As a teenager he gravitated to rock, punk and above all fifties rockabilly. He played in the new wave band the Bloodless Pharaohs and with his brother Gary in the Tomcats. When bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom joined, the trio became the Stray Cats and began playing clubs around New York.

Sensing more interest in rockabilly overseas, the Stray Cats sold their instruments to pay for flights to London in 1980. The gamble worked. They quickly drew crowds and famous admirers, and their 1981 debut, produced by Dave Edmunds, contained "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town." The US compilation Built for Speed arrived in 1982, and MTV rotation turned both songs into American hits. Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats followed in 1983, before the band split in 1984.

Setzer launched a solo career with The Knife Feels Like Justice in 1986, a heartland-rock record, and played Eddie Cochran in the 1987 film La Bamba. He also worked as a sideman, notably with Robert Plant's Honeydrippers project, and played on sessions for other artists. The Stray Cats reunited periodically, but his boldest move came in the early nineties, when he assembled a 17-piece big band to play swing and jump blues with a rockabilly guitar front and center.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra struck gold with The Dirty Boogie in 1998, riding the swing revival with "Jump, Jive an' Wail" and a lush "Sleep Walk," both Grammy winners. Christmas albums and annual holiday tours became a tradition, and Wolfgang's Big Night Out gave classical themes a swing makeover. Setzer kept releasing rockabilly solo records, and the Stray Cats marked their 40th anniversary with a new album in 2019. In 2025 he revealed an autoimmune condition affecting his hands, and in 2026 announced his recovery.

The 10 greatest Brian Setzer solos

1. 1
   Rock This Town

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1981
2. 2
   Stray Cat Strut

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1981
3. 3
   Sleep Walk

   The Brian Setzer Orchestra · solo by Brian Setzer · 1998
4. 4
   Rumble in Brighton

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1981
5. 5
   Runaway Boys

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1980
6. 6
   Jump, Jive an' Wail

   The Brian Setzer Orchestra · solo by Brian Setzer · 1998
7. 7
   (She's) Sexy + 17

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1983
8. 8
   The Dirty Boogie

   The Brian Setzer Orchestra · solo by Brian Setzer · 1998
9. 9
   Gene and Eddie

   Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1989
10. 10
    Rev It Up and Go

    Stray Cats · solo by Brian Setzer · 1981

The sound

Setzer fuses the twangy rockabilly of Cliff Gallup, Scotty Moore and Eddie Cochran with jazz harmony and big-band swing. He plays hollow-body Gretsch guitars through clean, slightly overdriven amps with generous slapback echo, producing a bright, springy tone. His solos combine fast hybrid picking, double stops, chromatic runs and sophisticated chord substitutions, often dropping jazz licks into a three-chord rocker. He is also a strong rhythm player, driving the Stray Cats as the only chordal instrument in a stripped-down trio.

• 1959 Gretsch 6120 (guitar) The orange hollow-body at the heart of the Stray Cats sound, bought secondhand as a teenager.
• Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod (guitar) A signature model with simplified controls, built for his stripped-down approach.
• Gretsch Brian Setzer Black Phoenix (guitar) A later signature model with a sleek black finish.
• Fender Bassman (amp) A vintage tweed-era style amp that gives his tone its warm, punchy bite.
• Roland Space Echo (effect) Tape echo supplies the slapback that is essential to his rockabilly sound.

Covers

• Sleep Walk, originally by Santo & Johnny He swapped the original's steel guitar for rich, echoing electric lines and won a Grammy.
• Jump, Jive an' Wail, originally by Louis Prima His big-band remake became the defining hit of the late-nineties swing revival.
• Mystery Train, originally by Junior Parker The trio gave the Sun Records classic a lean, punk-charged update.
• Summertime Blues, originally by Eddie Cochran Playing Cochran on screen, Setzer channeled his hero's style with obvious affection.
• The Nutcracker Suite, originally by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The orchestra turned the ballet music into a swinging big-band showcase.

Timeline

• 1959 Born in Massapequa, New York
• 1979 Stray Cats form on Long Island
• 1980 Moves to London with the Stray Cats
• 1981 Debut album with "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town"
• 1982 Built for Speed breaks the band in America via MTV
• 1984 Stray Cats disband for the first time
• 1986 First solo album, The Knife Feels Like Justice
• 1987 Plays Eddie Cochran in La Bamba
• 1998 The Dirty Boogie brings Grammy success with his orchestra
• 2019 Stray Cats release an album marking their 40th anniversary

Facts

1. He first played euphonium in school jazz bands.
2. The Stray Cats sold their instruments to afford plane tickets to London in 1980.
3. Dave Edmunds produced the Stray Cats' debut album.
4. Built for Speed, their US breakthrough, compiled songs from their first two UK albums.
5. He portrayed Eddie Cochran in the 1987 film La Bamba.
6. He played with Robert Plant's side project, the Honeydrippers.
7. His big band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, has 17 members.
8. He received the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
9. He was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
10. In 2025 he revealed an autoimmune disease that made playing feel like wearing gloves.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Brian Setzer