SETZER'S BIG-BAND MAGIC DAZZLES, SPANS THE AGES.Byline: Glenn Whipp Staff Writer Brian Setzer wasn't exactly the first swinger - Benny Goodman Noun 1. Benny Goodman - United States clarinetist who in 1934 formed a big band (including black as well as white musicians) and introduced a kind of jazz known as swing (1909-1986) Benjamin David Goodman, Goodman, King of Swing got there 65 years ago - but this guitar-slinging flashback flash·back n. 1. An unexpected recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug long after its original use. 2. A recurring, intensely vivid mental image of a past traumatic experience. man did get a head start on the current craze when he released his first orchestra album in 1994. And while the swing revival The Swing Revival was a 1990s and early 2000s-era period of renewed popular interest in swing and jump blues music from the 1930s and 1940s as exemplified by Louis Prima. Influential swing revival groups included Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and The Brian shows some early signs of petering out, Setzer clearly still believes, and so do the fans that packed the Greek Theatre this weekend for two well-received shows. Setzer is a man blessed with a great sense of anticipation. In the early '80s, he milked rockabilly with the Stray Cats The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. until that ran its course. Then he moved on, fusing jump blues This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since June 2007. Jump blues is a type of up-tempo blues music influenced by big band sound. , swing, boogie-woogie and pop into a toe-tapping retro sound that sent his career soaring yet again. Setzer's music pulls off that rare distinction of appealing to several generations - the audience at the Greek spanned from teens to their grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl , and the older crowd often could be seen working up a sweat near the front of the stage. (You go, Grandpa!) Arriving on stage playing the guitar riff from ``Hawaii Five-O'' (the evening had a vague luau theme), Setzer segued into a rousing ``Hoodoo Voodoo Doll'' and ripping renditions of ``This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof'' and ``Let's Live It Up,'' both from his now year-old ``Dirty Boogie'' album. Fronting a band that included five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, bass and drums, Setzer was most effective when blending his superb guitar work with his orchestra's swing sound. Setzer gave the orchestra treatment to two Stray Cats hits - ``Rock This Town'' and ``Stray Cat Strut'' (no surprises there) - and he showed off his crooning abilities to fine effect on ``Mack the Knife.'' Where does he go from here? Probably home. Setzer, after all, has been on the road for nearly a year. Given his restless and prescient pre·scient adj. 1. Of or relating to prescience. 2. Possessing prescience. [French, from Old French, from Latin praesci nature, though, his ``Dirty Boogie'' follow-up should provide a clue or two about the next sound to be appropriated by a Gap commercial. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Singer-guitarist Brian Setzer leads his 15-piece orchestra through a brisk set at the Greek Theatre. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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