Cari Lee and the Saddle-ites

For the past several years, the west coast has been a hotbed for a distinctive blend of hillbilly and western swing not heard since the heyday of Hank Thompson and the Maddox Brothers and Rose. And though the Dave and Deke Combo, the Lucky Stars and Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys have been the region's best-known exports to date, Bay Area singer Cari Lee Merritt does a fine job of reviving the west coast swingin' hillbilly sound of the late '40's and early '50's on her debut.
Blessed with a big, brassy voice, Merritt leads her rock-solid band through a dozen originals and covers. - Jon Johnson

They are a pleasure to watch and hear. Each time Cari Lee took off with the “jump and thump” sounds of the South, combined with the vigor and brashness of the West Coast musical style, the fans in the row in front of me broke out in rhythmic applause. I guarantee you will do the same.
- Jennie Orvino

Embracing that fine mix of Hillbilly and Rockabilly, we are treated to several original songs together with interesting revivals. I have to say there are no weak moments here, everything is just right…the vocals from Cari Lee and the fine backing from the Saddle-ites make for a truly remarkable feel in that the sound is so original. They do a tremendous job throughout the whole album.
-Now Dig This Magazine (England)
- Trevor Cajiao

Mixing country, swing, and hillbilly music, this second release from Cari and the Saddle-ites firms
their reputation as one of the leading working bands of the genre. Traditional but honest, the Saddle-ites mix the high-powered vocals of Cari Lee with stinging guitar from Steve Merritt and keyboards by Billy Wilson. The Road Less Traveled couples original tunes to covers like Charline Arthur’s “I’m Having a Party All by Myself” and Hoyt Johnson’s
“Standing in Your Window.” All of the players have the chops and deliver the music with enthusiasm. The real gem here is Cari Lee’s vocals which are full and
expressive, rich as a cup of dark coffee and smooth as
a newly paved asphalt road. If you like a little honky-tonk with your country swing music, check out the Saddle-ites at www.saddle-ites.com. - Eric Shoaf

On their appropriately titled sophomore effort "The Road Less Traveled" Cari Lee Merritt and her four companions of the Saddle-Ites are opting to walk the path referred to in the album's title, the one that isn't used that often any longer nowadays. Authentic hillbilly bop originals like "Mama Told Me", "Hurry Up" and "Come Home To Me" can be found alongside steaming covers of Hoyt Johnson's "Standing In Your Window" and Charline Arthur's "I'm Having A Party All By Myself" (pure honky tonk) or thrilling renditions of songs made famous by Etta James and Wynonna Carr like "Nobody Loves You Like Me" and "I'm A Pilgrim Traveler". And we even get a nice little dessert at the end of the album with the stompin' rock & roll ditty "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo" and a live version of "Tennessee Avenue", recorded by Spanish TVE. And on top of that videoclips of both songs were added to the disc too. Cari Lee's last words addressing her Spanish audience therefore are ours to her too: "Gracias!"

- Benny Metten

“Hot Stuff! California’s Cari Lee rocks, rolls and swings in a red hot vintage Western way on this fine new CD. It’s one of those albums you can’t find anything wrong with. Cari Lee has the voice, the songs and her Saddle-ites provide the right kind of backing, may it be Hillbilly, Western Swing, Honky Tonk or Rockabilly, they nail whatever is called for. Cari Lee’s beautiful voice stands out in the mix (thank you Mr. Producer Billy Horton) and her Saddle-ites take us on an enjoyable and smooth ride back to the 40’s & 50’s.
- Blue Suede News (America)
- Gabby Maag-Bristol

Several songs jump out and take a hold. “Standing in your window” compares really well with either the Hoyt Johnson or Eddie Bond versions; perhaps better. “Move On” is a stand out, with wonderful vocal and instrumental support, this is the top number for me. And yet there are some great runners up. The revival of “Eeny Meeny Miney Mo” and the new song, “Do You Or Don’t You” are hot on the heels. This outfit is a class act and one that we need to preserve the music for the future.
-Howard Cockburn (Europe)
- Howard Cockburn