Hattie Wilcox has a glorious voice with a quality I simply have not heard before in this genre—a really great quality, and it sparkles and shines throughout her collection of songs on Red Bird Tattoo. The vibrato, more like tremolo in her delivery on “Love Leave Me” is so very unusual, a little like Patsy Cline for sure, but almost percussive. Wonderful stuff.
Her lyric for “You Save Me” has to be one of the finest I’ve ever heard in a blues song, “Cereal & Crackers & Cats & Dogs in My Bed”…no need for me to say any more, Ms. Wilcox has got it nailed. What a line…. On “Deep Down”, the sheer quality and effortlessness of Hattie’s voice comes to the fore. No Hattie, not Patsy. You are “The k.d. lang of the blues”.
—Gerry Casey / Studio7 Ireland, Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland
Hattie Wilcox’s Red Bird Tattoo has a very personal, autobiographical “wear your heart on your shirt sleeve” quality. A brutally honest and sincere effort to share herself with the listener is what I hear in Hattie’s voice. The authenticity is compelling. She expresses emotions that convey a tough, independent spirit with a soft and sensitive vulnerability. One minute, I could feel the hurt and disappointment, the happiness and joy, the loneliness and frustration, the weakness and despair, and the strength and courage the next. Red Bird Tattoo is a beautiful piece of musical storytelling. Some of my favorite tracks (in no particular order): Love Leave Me, You Save Me, Why I Don’t Know (Lyle Lovett), and Hattie’s solo piano on Miss Hattie Moran’s Augusta Georgia Rag. Nice piano work throughout by Johnny Neel, especially on “My Birthday”. Dig the passing chords at the end of the solo on this song! Hattie’s strong vocal performances and inspired songwriting make this CD a skillfully arranged blend of blues and soul. Ready for prime time.
—Raymond Selman, musician/songwriter (ASCAP), Smithfield, VA
Southern fried blues at it’s very best, this is what I hear listening to Red Bird Tattoo. The music sways and brings the good time feel, even in slower numbers. Hattie is a seasoned singer with a voice that is strong, clear and warm, squeezing out the essence of every song she sings. The whole band sounds great but Johnny Neel’s piano is particularly tasty, blending well with Hattie’s vocals. I feel the band’s chemistry. All in all, Red Bird Tattoo is one of those CDs that brings music that is familiar, but at the same time music that you can’t afford not to hear again! It is my pleasure to feature your music in my shows.
—Przemek Draheim, Host of Głosem Bluesa, Radio Sfera, Torun, Poland
Miss Hattie Moran’s Augusta Georgia Rag
Miss Hattie Moran of Augusta, Georgia
1891-1951The Story Behind the Song
I wrote “Miss Hattie Moran’s Augusta Georgia Rag” in honor of my great-aunt, Hattie Dermott Moran (1891-1951). A stride and ragtime piano player from Augusta, Georgia, she sang and worked as a pianist for the Lion’s Club, The Exchange Club of Augusta, local theatre, and for St. John’s Methodist Church for more than 30 years. When I was growing up—for as long as I can remember—my mother and my aunt told me when they looked at me sometimes it was as if Great Aunt Hattie was alive again, walking around in me. They told me she liked to wear multi-colored, high-heel sandals. At my youngest sister’s wedding, I walked in with some new pale grey patent peek-a-boo high-heeled sandals. My mom and my aunt stared at my shoes, then me, and then at each other. I have no idea how my ragtime came into my head and out on the piano keys. All I know is my Great Aunt Hattie played this kind of music. I like to think it’s a part of her that she wanted to let loose in the world, so she gave it to me. I am so glad ’cause it is some kinda joyful noise!—Hattie
What listeners have to say
If Scott Joplin had lunch with Keith Jarret, he might have… jotted down this little ditty.
—Suzanne Dean, associate professor, Berklee College of Music, Berklee, CA
Come to Montreal, you crazy pianist…
—Chris Nippard, songwriter/vocalist/guitarist, Montreal, Quebec
Scott Joplin, Debussy, Mompou, Stravinsky, Jelly Roll Morton and other influences… it could be soundtrack… very surprising and original.
—Moises Prieto, guitarist/producer, Madrid, Spain
Intriguing quirkiness…
—Kevorkian, hardcore metal band, New York City, NY
Mood zig-zags between Mose Allison, Scott Joplin and–in its classic passages—Dave Brubeck . . . emotionally intense and evocative.
—Philomankind, power pop, Pisa, Italy
If this performer was playing in my bar, I’d be hanging off the end of the piano and buying the drinks.
—Jim Pearson, songwriter, United Kingdom
Smooth Ragtime—I really like the feel of this song. It has a very different sound to it. It makes you think of a time gone by—very nice touch.
—Big Dutch, Hip Hop/West Coast R&B artist & producer, Watts (Compton), CA
You Save Me
Twisted and sexy.
—Thomas Macaoidh, vibist and composer, Albany, OR
“Songwriter Hattie Wilcox Uses the Internet, Music Contests to Make Her Mark.”