In the late ’80s, Greg Bury saw Robert Gordon perform at a small venue in New Jersey without knowing much about the rockabilly legend. The experience would shape the next 20 years of Bury’s life. “I went home that night saying, ‘Now this is the stuff I have to play,’” he says.
After a decade of fronting Speed Crazy — one of the mainstays of the East Coast rockabilly scene — Bury discovered he could have just as much fun with the slower paced, prancing melodies of swing music. He formed Delco Nightingale with singer Erin Berry (their names have a coincidental likeness) in order to fuse their love of rockabilly and swing, and the Kensington quartet has been Philly’s troubadour of ‘50s era ballads for the last three years.
On Saturday, Delco celebrates the release of their first full-length album “S’Wingin’ It!” at the Fire. The album was recorded last year in Lancaster and Philadelphia.
“What we’ve found is that everything really should be recorded live. That’s been different for me. I’m used to recording the vocals separately, at the very least,” says Bury, who performs under the moniker Greg Phoenix when with Delco.
“But, for us, recording with the whole band together seems to give it so much more energy and feeling.”
