California Bluegrass Association, by B Hough, Mar 17, 2006
(hufstuff@oakapple.net)
"If the Tallboys were a bobsled team, they would be heading down the hill towards an Olympic medal! With a finesse developed through many hours of playing in the Pike Place Street Market of Seattle, the boys have honed the down home sound of old time music to a fine edge. With Joe Fulton in the driver’s seat, the rest of the band leans into the rhythms as their sled of sound pulses through 16 songs on this third album. Charlie Beck’s banjo provides a sprightly clawhammer rhythm and Paul McGowan’s mandolin adds some flourishes. Rob Adesso’s guitar and John Hurd’s bass add the strong rhythm beats. Their voices intertwine with the instruments and the resulting sound is enticing dance music. All the songs are from the traditional repertoire with the exception of Charlie Beck’s “Ida Mae” which sounds quite at home with the other songs. Joe’s not bashful fiddle playing is featured in the classic fiddle tunes, “Mississippi Sawyer” and “Cumberland Gap.” There’s songs of the hollers and homes, sinners and saved, and even a murder ballad with a murderess! There’s plenty of bouncy animal tunes with “Quit Kicking My Dog,” “Squirrel Hunter,” and “Wildhog in the Redbrush.” The Tallboys have played many regional Northwest festivals and have performed at the San Francisco Bluegrass and Old Time Festival. Their CD is worth finding and the band packages each CD in the proverbial plain brown paper wrapper with rubber stamped song lists."