Brian Setzer [ tickets ], who will spend the fall touring Japan with a side project dubbed The Nashvillains, will regroup with his Brian Setzer Orchestra later this year to mount the group's Christmas Extravaganza 2006 Tour.

The outing, which is heading into its fifth year, launches in late November and is scheduled to make stops in about two dozen cities by the time it wraps up just before Christmas. Details are included below.

Before Setzer tackles the holiday run, he and his band The Nasvhillains--Bernie Dresel (percussion), Ronnie "The Crusher" Crutcher (slap bass) and Robbie Chevrier (piano, acoustic guitar)--head to Japan for a brief, late-October tour of that country, details for which are available at Setzer's website.

The group will warm up for the Japanese run with an Aug. 19 performance at the Fogg Fest in San Francisco. More information is available at the festival's website.

Last week, The Brian Setzer [ tickets ] Orchestra performed at the White House for an audience that included President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a big Elvis fanwho visited Graceland during his US trip. The BSO performed a set that included the Elvis cut "Blue Suede Shoes."

Setzer is currently working on a new album titled "13." The set is expected to hit stores this fall, according to Setzer's website.

Setzer's most recent release is last year's "Dig that Crazy Christmas" audio CD, and the 23-song DVD "Christmas Extravaganza," which was filmed Dec. 18, 2004, during a sold-out gig at Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles (since renamed Gibson Amphitheater). The Setzer Orchestra's set that night spanned Setzer's entire career, including Stray Cats hits (such as "Stray Cat Strut"), BSO songs ("Jump Jive an' Wail") and holiday songs (including BSO's seven-minute rendition of "Nutcracker Suite"). The DVD's full track-listing is below.

"Rockabilly Riot Vol. One - A Tribute to Sun Records"--which features Setzer's takes on 23 songs recorded on the legendary Memphis label by artists including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins--also surfaced last year.