Joe Fulton, Fiddle
Charlie Beck, Banjo
John Hurd, Bass
Charmaine Slaven, Guitar/Feet
You can get MP3s of all our music and pick the price you pay here:
Influences
78 Era Musicians: Uncle Dave, East Texas Serenaders, Carter Family, Grinnell Giggers, Nations Bros, Stripling Bros, Georgia Yellow Hammers, Gid Tanner, Skillet Lickers, Hoyt Ming, Narmour and Smith, Dock Boggs, John Carson, so many more...
Field Recordings: Tommy Jarrell, Wade Ward, Hobart Smith, John Salyer, Melvin Wine, Bill Bilyeau,...
Records, Tapes, 8-Tracks, my recorder over their shoulder, and other modern sources we listen to: Mike Seeger, The Old 78s, Foghorn Stringband, Rafe Stefanini, Lee Stripling, Clarke Bueling, W.B. Reid...
Sounds Like
Have a look and a listen for yourself!! Here we are busking at Seattle's Pike Place Market accompanied by legendary Artis the Spoonman.
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John (bass), Charlie (banjo), & Charmaine (clogger) at Folklife 2006.
Check out our twice-monthly square dances at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle! Here's a sneak peek:
The Tallboys are a four piece old time string band based in Seattle, WA. Well versed in traditional fiddle tunes and mountain songs, The Tallboys perform their music with driving rhythm and soaring melodies. They are honest to their traditional inspirations, yet charge up their sound with a raw edge of gritty enthusiasm conjured from their years of street performing.
Talented vocalists, The Tallboys all share the singing and harmonize to create a beautifully authentic old time sound. The instrumental line-up begins with Joe Fulton, from Iowa, who has been playing since boyhood. His impressive fiddling leads the melody. Charlie Beck, from Indiana, plays both clawhammer and three-finger style banjo and brings over a decade of musical experience to the band. He is also a talented songwriter, creating several original compositions. Longtime musician John Hurd, from Oregon, lays down that driving bass foundation essential to The Tallboys’ rhythm. Charmaine Slaven, from Montana, fills out the sound with solid rhythm guitar and is one of the best clog dancers on the west coast. She has the unique ability to clog and play guitar simultaneously. Together, they blend the attributes of each instrument and vocalist, creating a cohesive sound.
Performing since 2003, they have released three albums and a fourth is expected in early 2007. The Tallboys have received outstanding reviews and press from many well-respected individuals in the music industry. The band has received continuously increasing airplay nationwide, and has recently been featured on Puget Sound Public Radio KUOW 94.9 “The Beat” and Seattle’s country music station KMPS 94.1 “Ichabod and the Waking Crew”. The Tallboys perform at numerous music festivals in the Northwest including Seattle’s Northwest Folklife Festival, Northwest String Summit (winners of the 2004 band contest), Portland’s Pickathon Roots Music Festival, The Portland Old Time Gathering, San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival, Bainbridge Bluegrass Festival, Fremont Solstice Fair, and many others.
The Tallboys are a grassroots independent band and have strong ties to the community, donating performances for local nonprofit fundraisers and events. Additionally, they have been instrumental in gaining recognition for Seattle’s local old time music scene, and continue to involve young people with old music by hosting a monthly square dance and jam at the Tractor Tavern.
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 162 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; Historic buildings are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
Around The Bend kicks total ass! you guys are the best, I listen to it all the time as i have done with all of your CD's. Joe, lets kick it before you leave mofo, and please reconsider Sea-town! peace, -Josh
Hey The Tallboys! I saw you guys on vacation yesterday and recognized you from myspace. Seattle was really neat. I wish I could have stayed longer. It was a pleasure to see you playing in Pike Place Market. The music was good. Thanks for the CD. I've already enjoyed listening to it. Best wishes! ~Adam
CIAO AMIGOSS, WELCOME TO “PALESTISRAEL CITY” AND KEEF THE RIDE… PEACE FOR KIDS BY BOOGIE BALAGAN
LAMENTATION WALLOO
When i was a boy I was dreaming of a land A Promised land for everyone When i was a kid I was diggin n’ diggin Across the border line I was sawing the seeds of time Sun flowers, avatiah...feeling fine
My homeboy Ali was my buddy But he was playing by the other side...
So we were climing up those mountains Flyin’ high as eagles do... N’ meanwhile heads were banging On the lamentation walloo
When i was a toy I was praying with the gun I didn’t know how to read between the lines When i was a toy I was bleeding n’bleedin It was a sign of spine I was layin’ on my home grown sorrow A kind of bleeding graps of wine My homeboy Ali was my best enemy But he was burried by the other side... (Azriel : ps 9 the Walloo Book)
Palodine: Sadlands Ruby Throat: Happy Now Pt 2 Mark Sinnis: Mind Melt Voltaire: Accordion Player Blood Meridian: Good Lover Waves Under Water: Serpents and the Tree Hunter Robertson: Red Wing Adrian H & the Wounds: The Old Church Walter Sickert & THe ARmy of BRoken TOys: Rusted Key Tallboys: Old Bunch of Keys Gothic Archies: A Million Mushrooms Erin Jordan & the Whiskey Romance: Amphibian Serendipity Musik: Parallel Universe No 2 Jason Webley & Sxip Shirey: Phonograph David Bowie: Yassassin They Might Be Giants: Siftin' Neko Case: I'm an Animal Nouvelle Vague: Heart of Glass James Blackshaw: Fix Gorillaz: 19-2000 Katzenjammer Kabarett: Three Sketches Sophe Lux: Sophia Song Midnight Serenaders: Swing Brother Swing
Hey Charlie and Charmaine, I'm not playin banjo this show, but it will be a funky good time. -Chris
ELDRIDGE GRAVY CD RELEASE PARTY!
Saturday May 16 ELDRIDGE GRAVY & THE COURT SUPREME ALTERED STATES OF FUNK ORKESTAR ZIRKONIUM Our CD release party, at last! Snap up your own shiny copy of US IS WHAT TIME IT IS, our debut release! With Altered States of Funk (Seattle's venerable P-Funk torch carriers) and Orkestar Zirkonium (a massive, joyous Balkan style marching band who forecast a 95% chance of partying in the streets) Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave NW, 9PM, 21+, $10
Tickets are available from your helpful clerk at Sonic Boom records or online at TicketWeb.com.
