Brian Setzer

Vavoom! is Brian Setzer's first album since "Jump Jive & Wail" from Dirty Boogie became a huge, unexpected hit in 1998 and sent the retro-guitarist into his second round of hipness and commercial success. He earned a lot of fans with Dirty Boogie because he was faithful to jump blues, swing, rockabilly, R&B, and early rock & roll, but played fast and loose, finding songs that weren't played all that often and having fun kicking them out with a big band. Here Setzer covers "Pennsylvania 6-500," "Mack the Knife," Ellington's "Caravan," and "Americano," fresh in the public consciousness thanks to Matt Damon and Jude Law's rip-roaring performance of it in The Talented Mr. Ripley, released just six months before this album, and the covers form the backbone of the album. Setzer fares quite well on his originals, largely because they sound even fresher next to the covers. Setzer is a good bandleader with a good band. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide