Washington Bluegrass Association, by Steve Derebey, Spring 2006
"When you put this CD in your Walkman, close your eyes; imagine that you are standing at the corner of Pike and 1st Street in the Pike Street Market. Feel the sounds and smells of the market as the Tallboys play their music while passers by stop and start to move to the music. That is the feel of the Tallboys’ latest CD, “Yeah Buddy.” Another Washington band, the Tallboys are famous for their numerous appearances in the Market along with other appearances throughout the Seattle area. They readily admit that their FAVORITE venue is the Pike Street Market and get more of a charge out of playing there than anywhere else on earth!
This album is produced to give you the feeling of an outdoor performance using one central microphone with the band gathered around it. The hard driving fiddle played by Joe Fulton in “Cumberland Gap” and “Sally Ann” are a couple of my all time favorites and make you want to jump up and flatfoot dance along with the track. The group first met with Rob Adesso (guitar) and Paul Mc Gowan (mandolin) walking through the U-District market one day, running across Joe Fulton (fiddle) playing an Irish tune on his fiddle. While they were walking by, he switched to “Cattle in the Cane” and they stopped dead in their tracks and the band was formed. Not long after that, Charlie Beck (banjo) asked them to be in his band of a St. Patties Day gig and the band expanded. As their style has evolved, they played a lot of Charlie Becks’ (banjo) original music and have gravitated toward old time string band type music which comprises many of the tracks on this wonderful CD. Paul told me that they love sharing their music and try to include as many people in their music as they can though making the music simple. He says, “A new musician can play one or two chords on the uke and you can bring him in and play all night long!” Providing the background for flatfoot and square dancing has been a major part of their passion for this style music. Paul states “You get there, have pot luck, play a little slow, and then let loose!” My kind of band! Who for? Roots music lovers, dancers of all kinds, traditionalists and anyone who can relate to dancing to great tunes in the Pike Street Market on a beautiful summer evening!