A Stray Cat Struts His Stuff

Red Hot & Live!
Brian Setzer and the Nashvillains
(Surfdog)

Brian Setzer has tasted success as a member of a small group and as the leader of a large one. On his latest disc, “Red Hot & Live!,” Setzer gives a medium-sized combo a try. The setting proves to be a perfect showcase for his mastery of rockabilly guitar.

“Red Hot & Live!” documents Setzer’s sold-out tour of Japan in October 2006. Backing him on the dates were the Nashvillains: drummer Bernie Dresel, bassist Ronnie Crutcher and Robbie Chevrier on piano and rhythm guitar. Judging by the raucous reaction of the fans in Japan, where Setzer is considered a guitar god and has played many sold-out tours, the five-piece band was every bit as popular as the three-piece Stray Cats or the 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra.

The common denominator among all three bands, or course, is the lead guitarist. Like his forbears Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup and Eddie Cochran, Setzer is a master rockabilly stylist. As their rightful heir, Setzer assimilates parts of their styles into his own. He has a flair for the jazzy touches that have been part of rockabilly since before the genre had a name, and he combines that finesse with energy and enthusiasm that make the strings on his Gretsch guitars scream. Clearly inspired by the crowd, Setzer is at his best on “Red Hot & Live!” He responds with lightning-fast runs, colorful chords and syncopated finger-picking that keep the devotees cheering for more. The disc’s 16 tracks are drawn from his entire career, with more than half coming from his last two projects: the Sun Records covers collection “Rockabilly Riot!” and his 2006 release, “13.”

Although “13” displayed diversity in Setzer’s guitar playing, “Red Hot & Live!” oozes rockabilly, from the cover art by noted tattoo artist Vince Ray, to the instrumentation to the song selection. Included are Sun covers “Red Hot,” “Get it off Your Mind,” “Slow Down,” Put Your Cat Clothes On,” “Peroxide Blonde in a Hopped Up Model Ford” and “Tennessee Zip.” There are also a couple of genuine classics that Setzer has contributed to the canon, from the Stray Cats days: “Stray Cat Strut” and Rock This Town.”

As always, the guitar is front and center. But the band is more than just beefed-up backing for Setzer’s solos.

The addition of Chevrier to the lineup helps in two ways: Piano was part of many Sun recordings, so its presence here adds authenticity. And by playing rhythm guitar, Chevrier fills in holes and allows Setzer to focus on the lead parts. There’s a noticeable difference in the fullness of “Runaway Boys” when compared to the version on the Stray Cats’ 2004 live disc, “Rumble in Brixton.”

The rhythm section also acquits itself well. Dresel was until recently the drummer for the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and he is an accomplished big-band drummer. That is to say that instead of just keeping time, Dresel plays the drums. His fills on “Runaway Boys” are an obvious highlight, but on repeated listens to “Red Hot & Live!,” his overall musicianship comes into sharper focus. Dresel and Crutcher are locked in tight, and as a result the band never misses a beat.

Setzer and the Nashvillains are a skilled unit, and adventurous when it comes to changing up some of the classic songs. Chevrier’s boogie-woogie piano, not Setzer’s guitar, kicks off “Rock This Town.” Crutcher takes a bass solo on “Stray Cat Strut,” and Setzer tacks some playful jamming on the end of the tune. Another track benefits from being stripped down. “This Cat’s on a Hot Tin Roof,” which was recorded by the Brian Setzer Orchestra, still smokes when played by a smaller band, largely because Setzer’s guitar parts are true to his original version.

Setzer’s skills are the proverbial icing on an already tasty cake. He picks plenty of fast licks, but changes speed with Chet Atkins-inspired finger-picking on the intro of the rockabilly tune “Fishnet Stockings.” “Mini Bar Blues” is a dazzling instrumental showcase for much of what’s in Setzer’s goody bag.

Guitar pyrotechnics are great, but authenticity is important to Setzer. Although he likes to add his own sense of style, he likes to honor the past, too. As such, he tears off the iconic solo from the Bill Haley and the Comets classic “Rock Around the Clock” near the end of “Fishnet Stockings.”

Another Stray Cats track, “Gene and Eddie,” is a fitting choice as the closer. Cobbled together from parts of classic Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran songs, it’s an entry-level course surveying classic rockabilly. “Red Hot & Live!” offers clear evidence that Setzer is destined to write his own chapter in the textbook.