Happy Birthday Brian Setzer! (April 10, 1959)

byFrankB-1

6.6K followers

3 years ago

Hi, WA Freinds!

Let's celebrate Brian Setzer's Birthday! Sorry, it's a day late, but I was busy with my family on Easter Monday. You know how it is, right?

Brian Setzer is an American musician, singer, and songwriter known for his absolutely electrifying performances and unique fusion of rockabilly, swing, and rock 'n' roll!

You most likely know him from the band the "Stray Cats."

Musical Equipment (for the guitar geeks among you)

(Hey, you know who you are! 😁)

Guitars:

Brian captured the rockabilly sound using a variety of Gretsch guitars, including his Brian Setzer Hot Rod Signature models, a black Phoenix, and a G6120.

Brian is playing a vintage 1959 Gretsch G6120 in the title image.

He has even used a Fender Stratocaster on rare occasions.

Amplifiers:

These days, Brian mainly uses two vintage Fender Bassman amplifiers that are miked into the house PA system, but he's also used Fender Hot Rod DeVilles and even a Tone Master Twin Reverb amps.

Echo:

One of the hallmarks of Brian's rockabilly sound is his slap-back (very short duration) echo effect. You'll hear this guitar effect in the vast majority of his songs. He uses a vintage Roland Space Echo RE-201 effect, which you can see sitting on the Fender Bassman amp on the left side of the title image. The device on top of the right amplifier is a vintage strobe tuner.

The Roland Space Echo is an analog tape-based echo unit that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s and is known for its warm, vintage sound.

I've seen Brian play live on three occasions, and he is an incredible performer!

Awards:

Some of the notable awards that Brian has received include:

• 3 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (1999, 2001) and Best Classical Crossover Album (2003) with the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
• Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) for his exceptional contributions to the music industry.
• International Guitar Hall of Fame induction (2014) for his outstanding guitar playing and musicianship.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (2012) as a member of the Stray Cats.

Discography:

Brian Setzer has released numerous albums throughout his career, both as a solo artist and with his bands. I strongly recommend you listen to something from each of the three categories below since his playing style varies significantly!

However, if you listen to just one album, I'd recommend "The Brian Setzer Orchestra (1994)!"

With the Stray Cats:

• "Stray Cats" (1981)
• "Gonna Ball" (1981)
• "Built for Speed" (1982)
• "Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats" (1983)
• "Rock Therapy" (1986)
• "Blast Off!" (1989)
• "Let's Go Faster!" (1990)
• "Original Cool" (1993)

With the Brian Setzer Orchestra:

• "The Brian Setzer Orchestra" (1994)
• "Guitar Slinger" (1996)
• "The Dirty Boogie" (1998)
• "Vavoom!" (2000)
• "Jumpin' East of Java" (2001)
• "Boogie Woogie Christmas" (2002)
• "Dig That Crazy Christmas" (2005)
• "Wolfgang's Big Night Out" (2007)
• "Songs from Lonely Avenue" (2009)
• "Rockin' Rudolph" (2015)

As a solo artist:

• "The Knife Feels Like Justice" (1986)
• "Live Nude Guitars" (1988)
• "Ignition!" (2001)
• "13" (2006)

Happy Birthday, Brian! 🎂 😎

Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸