Reviews of The Tatters CD!!

ROOTSTOWN MUSIC

Lowland's Leading American Roots & World Music Magazine
Marc NOLIS Publisher & Editor-in-chief
J. Verbovenlei 79, B-2100 Deurne, Belgium
Telephone: +32/(0)3 366 2336 - Fax +32/(0)3 321 8257
Roots.Town@glo.be

THE TATTERS / KNOTTY GIRL CD 2000 (40.08)

Conclusion: "A marvellous record!"

"We houden van oude muziek", zo zeggen Mary Z. Wilson, Erika Harding en Jennie Snyder en ze hebben zelfs recentelijk echte 78-toeren platen op mogen nemen! Dit zou genoeg moeten zeggen over de muzikale invalshoek van deze drie Californische dames die nu al weer zo'n 3 jaar The Tatters vormen; ze hadden voorwaar niet misstaan op die machtige soundtrack van Oh Brother Where Art Thou of hadden misschien op kunnen treden wanneer Bob Wills was getrouwd met een lid van de Andrews Sisters. Hun hillbilly-retro-folk-meets-swing benadering van de Americana wordt gecompleteerd door injecties met gospel, Hawaiian en calypso en hun voornamelijk originele liedjes, bijna alle gepend door Mary Z, worden vertolkt met zoveel authenticiteit dat zij klassiekers van ruim een halve eeuw geleden hadden kunnen zijn.
Bijgestaan door een solide back-up team (zeer ten onrechte The Lowly Sidemen genoemd) en zwaar leunend op hun voortreffelijke, fijnzinnige harmonieën, hebben The Tatters een debuutalbum voortgebracht dat zeker niet alleen liefhebbers van oude Amerikaanse volksmuziek zal aanspreken; zeker de ingetogen nummers als Bluer Pastures en met name Angel Of Death vormen een universele aanslag op de ruggengraat door de enorme hoeveelheid rillingen die zij in gang zetten. Heel mooie plaat! (RK) (thetatters.com)

"We like old music", according to Mary Z. Wilson, Erika Harding and Jennie Snyder and they have even recorded real 78 RPM-records recently! This should say enough about the musical approach of these three Californian ladies who already for three years formed The Tatters. They wouldn't have misfitted on that great soundtrack of "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" or they could have performed maybe, when Bob Wills was getting married with one of the Andrews Sisters. Their hillbilly-retro-folk-meets-swing approach of the Americana is completed with injections of gospel, Hawaiian, and Calypso and their mostly original songs, almost all of them penned by Mary Z., are performed with so much authenticity that they could have been classic from half a century ago. The Tatters have produced a debut-album, assisted by a solid back-up team (very wrongly named The Lowly Sidemen) and leaning heavily on their excellent, distinctive harmonies, that certainly won't only appeal to lover of old American folkmusic: especially the quiet tracks like Bluer Pastures and particularly Angel of Death do a universal attempt on the spine by the enormous amount of shivers that they start. Very nice record!

Jambalya

Número 17 - Enero/Febrero 02
"The Tatters"

Saltando de década, pero no yendo mucho más lejos, encontramos la propuesta musical de una banda liderada por un trío de vocalistas femeninas procedentes de Ventura, California, que se hacen conocer como The Tatters (http://www.thetatters.com) y que basan sus grabaciones en los sonidos de los dorados años 40. Su disco de debut lleva el mismo nombre del grupo y contiene 13 piezas que destilan una frescura realmente contagiosa, con estilos que van desde el western swing, al honky-tonk, pasando por el country & western o el folk, todos ellos interpretados con una maestría innegable y aderezados con gotas del estilo vocal de las Andrew Sisters. La banda está formada por Mary Wilson (voces, guitarra y ukelele, además de principal compositora), Jennie Snyder (voces, armónica, clarinete), Erika Harding (voces, viola), Jack Joshua (bajo acústico), Danny Wilson (guitarra acústica y mandolina) y el super-multinstrumentista Bill Flores (guitarra, dobro, mandolina, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel y acordeón) y ha recibido elogios por parte de maestros como Chris Hillman, Pat Flynn (New Grass Revival) o la vocalista Victoria Williams, tanto por el elevado nivel de sus composiciones como por su impecable recreación de unos estilos ya lejanos en el tiempo, aunque cada vez más de moda. El álbum se abre con un luminoso "Tattered and torn" que atrapa ya a la primera escucha, así como otros temas igualmente notables como "Night train", "Bottle buddy", "Bluer Pastures", "Cry Aye, Aye" o "I don't think so", que lo hacen absolutamente recomendable para los fans de los estilos retro de la música country. Valga como colofón lo que escribió sobre este CD Logan Henderson, crítico del webzine Redneck Underground, "Podéis imaginar mi sorpresa cuando escuché el álbum de The Tatters y descubrí algunas de las mejores canciones de western swing que Bob Wills no llegó a escribir". Amén.

Going back a little more than a decade, we find the musical proposal of a band under the leadership of a female vocalist trio from Ventura, California, known as The Tatters, and who have based their recordings in the sounds of the golden '40s. Their self-titled debut album, contains 13 pieces that bring together a contagious freshness, with styles that vary from western swing to honky-tonk, going from county & western and folk, all of them interpreted with undeniable mastery and spiced with droplets of the vocal style of the Andrews Sisters. The band, made up by Mary Wilson (vocals, guitar, ukulele and main composer), Jennie Snyder (vocals, harmonica, clarinet), Erika Harding (vocals, viola), Jack Joshua (acoustic bass), Danny Wilson (acoustic guitar and mandolin) and super-multi instrumentalist Bill Flores (guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel and accordion) has received praise from masters like Chris Hillman, Pat Flynn (New Grass Revival) and vocalist Victoria Williams, not only for the high level of their compositions, but for their impeccable recreation of earlier styles, that are now even more in fashion. The album opens with a luminous "Tattered and Torn" that grabs you from the start, as well as other equally notable numbers, like "Night Train," "Bottle Buddy," "Bluer Pastures," "Cry Aye, Aye" and "I Don't Think So," which makes it essential for all retro style country music fans. In conclusion, Logan Henderson, critic of Redneck Underground wrote this about it: "You can imagine my surprise when I heard The Tatters album and found some of the best western swing songs that Bob Wills didn't get to write." Amen.

Pasadena Weekly

February 14, 2002
"The Tatters" (self released):

The Andrews Sisters comparison has been worked to death, but this Ventura-based sextet- singers Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder and Mary Z. Wilson, plus bassist Jack Joshua and multi-instrumentalists Bill Flores and Danny Wilson sounds like a sweeter, more-lilting-than-saucy reincarnation of the boogie-woogie pop sensations. And while the organic eclecticism of Mary Wilson's songs blending swing, Hawaiian, gospel, Mexican folk and the occasional jaunty yodel can be charming on this Mark Insley-produced disc, what really makes them fly are Harding, Snyder and Wilson's seamless harmonies.

--Bliss

The Global Muse.com

Artist: The Tatters
Title: Self Titled CD
Label: Independent
Genre: Old Time Country/Folk
Website: http://www.thetatters.com

Take three women who sing together in almost perfect harmony, add in a classic country band, a ton of old time charm and you'll have The Tatters. The styles of the group varies from bluegrass to western swing to folk music. Each song has that beautiful harmony that these ladies do so well.

The music on this album has a charm and grace that can't be found on anything out today. That void has now been filled with the release of this amazing album. The music takes you back, lifts you up, and never disappoints. The musicianship is also quite excellent. The seasoned musicians in this group and on this album compliment the aura of each song. If you like good singers that create amazing harmonies, The Tatters will certainly deliver.

The Rundown
Lyrics/Songwriting:

Production Quality:

Musicianship:

Originality:

Over All:

-- by Michael Allison - TheGlobalMuse.com

Le Cri du Coyote

Cri du Coeur
France

"Les Tatters sont un trio de chanteuses californiennes incluant Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder et Mary Z. Wilson qui propose un album acoustique. Inévitablement, on pense au Trio de leurs célebres consoeurs, mais celui-ci une fraîcheur et une variété musicale que l'autre n'avait pas. Franchement, c'est un enchantement auditif pour lequel il faudrait le vocablaire oenologique pour en faire ressortir toutes les nuances et les fragrances.

Disons plus prosaiquement qu'on y retrouve des arômes des Everly Brothers (I Don't Think So), des Andrews Sisters (Tattered and Torn, Night Train), des iles du Pacifique (Bottle Buddy), de Wayfaring Stranger (Bluer Pastures), des harmonies vocales bluegrass (Bended Knees), d'accordéon musette/ musique slave (Angel of Death), mexicains (Dele El Mundo), de Les Paul & Mary Ford (Say Goodbye), matine' de yodel tyrolien (Yip Yip Kay Ay), mais il y a encore un petit goût be blues et même de cantique religieux (In the Gloaming). Je le répète, un enchantement pour tous ceux qui aiment les harmonies vocales qui trancendent les genres."

"The Tatters are a Californian singing trio, featuring Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder and Mary Z. Wilson who composed an acoustic album. Inevitably, one associates this trio with their sister celebrities, but this trio has a brilliance and a musical variety that others don't have. Dearly, it's an audible enchantment for which one would need a winemaker's vocabulary to bring out all the nuances and fragrances.

To say it more prosaicly, one finds the aromas of the Everly Brothers (I Don't Think So) of the Andrews Sisters (Tattered and Torn, Night Train), the Islands of the Pacific (Bottle Buddy), of Wayfaring Stranger (Bluer Pastures), of the harmonies of vocal bluegrass (Bended Knees), of an accodion musette/ slave music (Angel of Death), Mexicans (Dele El Mundo), of Les Paul and Mary Ford (Say Goodbye), matinee of Swiss yodeling (Yip Yip Kay Ay), and also they have a little taste of the blues and religious sound. I repeat again, an enchantment for all those who love vocal harmonies that transcends all genres."

Bernard Boyat
Le Cri du Coyote, 2001

Country Music International, England

September 2001

"THE TATTERS, a California-based country girl group of sorts, deliver delightful little slices of bluegrass, hillbilly, swing,and even mariachi-flavoured tunes on this self financed debut album. Lush dulcet harmonies from ERIKA HARDING ,JENNIE SYNDER and MARY WILSON ground the songs as the music performed by the LOWLY SIDEMAN: Billy Flores, Jack Joshua, and Danny Wilson provide the rootsy undertow.

The OPENING Tattered and Torn has a gentle Hawaiian sway to it, enhanced by Flores' lap steel work. There is a definite Andrews Sisters feel there that is further emphasised on Night Train, a subdued swing number with exquisite harmony vocals.

Bottle Buddy has a slight Bob Wills slant to it, whereas Bluer Pastures leans closer to a traditional mountain ballad without the hillbilly twang. There is at touch of western yodeling on Yip Yip Kay Ay; feisty and packed with personality, not to mention a vocal wallop that's like a slap on a new born .

With all of these styles filtering through, there is a pure naturalness throughout so that nothing seems forced.These three gals imbue their songs with the kind of down home simplicity to give their music an honest air of heartfelt nostalgia ."

ROOTSTOWN MUSIC

Lowland's Leading American Roots & World Music Magazine
Marc NOLIS Publisher & Editor-in-chief
J. Verbovenlei 79, B-2100 Deurne, Belgium

"We houden van oude muziek", zo zeggen Mary Z. Wilson, Erika Harding en Jennie Snyder en ze hebben zelfs recentelijk echte 78-toeren platen op mogen nemen! Dit zou genoeg moeten zeggen over de muzikale invalshoek van deze drie Californische dames die nu al weer zo'n 3 jaar The Tatters vormen; ze hadden voorwaar niet misstaan op die machtige soundtrack van Oh Brother Where Art Thou of hadden misschien op kunnen treden wanneer Bob Wills was getrouwd met een lid van de Andrews Sisters. Hun hillbilly-retro-folk-meets-swing benadering van de Americana wordt gecompleteerd door injecties met gospel, Hawaiian en calypso en hun voornamelijk originele liedjes, bijna alle gepend door Mary Z, worden vertolkt met zoveel authenticiteit dat zij klassiekers van ruim een halve eeuw geleden hadden kunnen zijn.

Bijgestaan door een solide back-up team (zeer ten onrechte The Lowly Sidemen genoemd) en zwaar leunend op hun voortreffelijke, fijnzinnige harmonieën, hebben The Tatters een debuutalbum voortgebracht dat zeker niet alleen liefhebbers van oude Amerikaanse volksmuziek zal aanspreken; zeker de ingetogen nummers als Bluer Pastures en met name Angel Of Death vormen een universele aanslag op de ruggengraat door de enorme hoeveelheid rillingen die zij in gang zetten. Heel mooie plaat! (RK) (thetatters.com)

Country Standard Time

June 2001, Vol. 8. No. 8

The Tatters

Self-released

With voices like sweet candy, The Tatters- a Ventura, Cal- based country girl groups of sorts- concoct heavenly slices of bluegrass, hillbilly, swing and even mariachi-flavored tunes. Lush dulcet harmonies from Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder and Mary Wilson ground the songs as the music (performed by the Lowly Sidemen: Billy Flores, Jack Joshua and Danny Wilson).

The opening "Tattered and Torn" is a delicate piece floating on the strains of Hawaiian ukulele. The swingin' "Night Train" conjures up images of World War II era lovers cutting a rug on the old dance floor. A staccato, soldier-like drum beat drives the moody "Angel of Death" with a palpable force and the yodeling flair of "Yip Yip Kay Ay" gives it a classic cowgirl feel. Throughout none of the styles seem forced or kitschy- The Tatters imbue their songs with enough down-home character to give the music the honest, rarified air of heartfelt nostalgia.

--Rachel Leibrock

3rd Coast Music

#52/141, May 2001

The Tatters

You may think it counts as guilty pleasure, but frankly I make no bones about my adoration of the Andrews Sisters, and anybody who can pull off a reasonable approximation of those glorious three part harmonies is very much OK with me. Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder and principle songwriter Mary Z. Wilson, of Ventura, CA, sing together almost as beautifully as LaVerne, Maxene, and Patti, but, for the most part, while paying tribute with some 40s pop pastiches, they wisely eschew period or comparable material, instead using the sisters' vocal techniques on rootsy songs that draw on country, honky-tonk, Western-Swing, (one writer called Wilson's work, "the best songs Bob Wills never wrote"), folk and Appalachian gospel. Equally, the backings, which feature pedal and lap steel, mandolin, accordion, string bass, bongos and fiddle, are far from big band. There are many excellent songs on this album, notably Tattered and Torn and Angel of Death, but the singing simply knocks me out. The stylish Andrews Sisters might not have approved of The Tatters' folky hairdos and thrift shop chic, but I think they'd have applauded the sound.

--John Conquest, Publisher/ Editor

Redneck Underground

- World Dominion Through Rockabilly and Country
http://www.redneckunderground.com
March 2000
Reviews

Album Name The Tatters
Review Title: The Tatters
Author: Logan Henderson
Band Name: The Tatters
Label Name: Knotty Girl Records
Released on 2000

When I first got the Tatters album in the mail, and noticed it was fronted by three female singers, my first thought was "Oh great, more songs about rainy days and feelings, just what the world needs". Imagine my surprise when I actually listened to the album and heard the best songs Bob Wills never wrote.

The debut release by the California based Tatters weighs in at 13 fine songs, all marked by excellent harmonies and good songwriting. The song order is quite well done, with all of the songs keeping an even and steady pace throughout the album. There is something quite entrancing about the album, all those lovely voices singing the perfect notes. The lyrics are all top notch, interesting, and again, I feel I must stress, not about feelings and clouds. The sound is quite reminiscent of Bob Wills style Western Swing, with a little bit of big band style swing thrown in for good measure.

The sixth track on the album, Angel of Death is (in my opinion) the best song on the album and representative of the album as a whole. It is quite indicative of the overall quality of the cd. Lyrically, it is new and impressive. The execution, both vocally and musically is flawless, and the songwriting is superb. I find it difficult to write this review except to say that there is absolutely nothing bad about the album. I recommend this album highly to anyone who is at all interested in Western Swing, or anyone else for that matter.

The Tatters can be found at www.thetatters.com. Their self-titled album is for sale at Amazon.com.

Performing Songwriter

Volume 8, Issue 52, March/April 2001
DIY Top 12 Picks

"If you think the notion of combining the 3-part harmonies of the Andrews Sisters with swingy old-time folk vibe smacks of gimmickry, think again. Or at least it doesn't sound gimmicky in the hands of The Tatters. Comprised of Ventura, California residents Jennie Snyder, Erika Harding, and Mary Z. Wilson, who pens most of the group's material. This gifted trio boasts an eclectic repertoire that encompasses everything from Appalachian Gospel, to Spanish calypso, to 40s style retro-pop. In lesser hands such a mishmash might come off as inconsistent, but such is the crystalline beauty of the Tatters that everything on this self-titled debut sounds of a piece. High points include the musically sunny "Tattered and Torn", the honky tonkish "Bottle Buddy" and a beautiful country waltz titled (with irony) "Angel of Death". The songs on this CD are so uniformly excellent, however, each listener is bound to have his or her own favorites."

--Russell Hall

Revolutions: Roots Music Online

John Lonergan
Revolutions
211, Western Road,
London,
SW19 2QD
Phone/Fax 0208 646 7094

The Tatters
The Tatters Knottygirl CD2000
Victoria Williams has said of The Tatters that 'their harmonies are joyous and some of their songs are good enough to be standards'. Victoria's not steering us wrong! The sublime three part harmonies come courtesy of Erika Harding, Jennie Snyder, and chief-songwriter Mary Z Wilson. Wilson has accumilated these songs over the last twenty years although many sound as though they might have come from much earlier times. Musically, the band are very hard to pin down. Styles include Hawaiian, swing, and on Angel Of Death, an eastern feel which wouldn't be out of place on a Kusturica movie soundtrack. Fans of Freakwater, The Carter Family and any point in-between ought to investigate further. Throughout, they're backed by a group of crack session musicians, mischievously described as 'The Lowly Sidemen'. The word 'tatter' is derived from lace making, and this music is every bit as intricate as that art. The Tatters have success well and truly sewn up. (JL) www.thetatters.com

The Real Roots Cafe

From: Jan Janssen jtm.janssen@net.hcc.nl
To: tatters@roots66.com
Date: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 3:25 AM
Subject: The Tatters - Dutch Review
Hi, here is The Real Roots Cafe,

Just want to let you know that I did listen to your album. I did get it from Johanna Bodde, The Netherlands. That means that it has taken of and landed safely in The Real Roots Cafe. We like to let you know that we did give it already airplay and that we like the sound of it. Thanks to Johanna now the eastern part of Holland knows.

The Tatters - The Tatters

Mary Z. Wilson, Erika Harding en Jennie Snyder formeerde de groep The Tatters in 1998, genaamd naar de uitstervende kunst van het handwerken genaamd Hand-tatting. Alle dames zingen zowel leadvocals als backingvocals. Dat levert strak gebalanceerde close harmonie liedjes op die direct doen denken aan de jaren 40. Dan Wilson, Bill Flores en Jack Josua vormen samen de begeleidingsband The Lowly Sidemen. Hun liefde voor de oude traditionele roots muziek bracht hen samen. Muzikaal varieert het album van Bluegrass tot Western Swing maar zwaait halverwege zo om naar Hawaiian, gospel en folk. Klinkt als en is de moeite waard.

or in other words...
The close harmony and solo vocals of the ladies Mary Z. Wilson, Erika Harding, and Jennie Snyder is breathtaking. The backing band The Lowly Sidemen are fitting in just at the right place and right time. Traditional roots music, from the bottom, is going straight through your heart. Variation everywhere on their album from Bluegrass to Western Swing and halfway it is turning to some great Hawaiian, gospel and folk songs.

Yours sincerely,

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Jan Janssen
The Real Roots Cafe
E-mail: JTM.Janssen@net.hcc.nl
Web Site: http://www.radiowereld.nl/realrootscafe
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Billings (Montana) Gazette

Friday, February l6, 200l
MUSIC
CDGuide

By Chris Jorgensen Of the Gazette Staff

The Tatters, Knotty Girl Records. The Tatters is the name for this California band. Like the art of lacemaking, the album is intricate and finely made. And, like the art of shredding, the band tears down and reassembles a whole new view of the last 60 years of musical history. At the root of this band are pals Mary Z. Wilson, Jenny Snyder and Erika Harding, whose sunny harmonies are the real star of this project Among the dozen originals are western swing numbers, some bluegrass, calypso, folk, a yodeling cowboy song and rock, plus something that sounds suspiciously Hawaiian and one a capella knockout The trio is backed by the Lowly Sidemen, a pick-up band of expert pickers who add everything from the lap steel, to the clarinet, to the upright bass.

Chris Jorgensen can be reached at cjorgensen@billingsgazette.com

Santa Barbara Independent

The Tatters
December 14, 2000

Ventura County Reporter

The Tatters
November 22, 2000