Pike Place Market News, by Greg Spence Wolf, April 2006
"The Tallboys’ CD release “Yeah Buddy” features 15 traditional Folk songs, that I might never have gotten to hear if we weren’t listening to the Tallboys. It starts off with a good olde foot stomper called “Cumberland Gap” which sets the pace for much of the album.
My favorite cut on the album is “Henry Lee,” which features sweet harmonies, a baseline by John Hurd that feels like a pulsating heartbeat, and Rob Adesso’s guitar plays a dreamy, danceable waltz. This song makes me stop what I am doing and pay attention to this its story of love, loss and death.
Another of the album’s gems is the much more upbeat, “Quit Kickin’ My Dog.” It’s got a campfire sing-a-long melody and features a real-live dog howl.
Banjo player Charlie Beck’s original song “Ida Mae” is witty ballad that stays true to the Tallboys traditional style. You might catch Beck busking at the Market with Tallboys Fiddler Joe Fulton.
Tallboys’ recordings are well rehearsed. You can feel the fun they have making their music. The Tallboys—Joe Fulton on fiddle, Rob Adesso on guitar, John Hurd on bass, Charlie Beck on banjo and Paul McGowen on mandolin—frequently perform in the Pike Place Market, local music festivals and at the Tractor Tavern, in Ballard."