Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin'
Altar Boys
"Shake Your
Boogie"
Nevermore Records
By Peter
"Blewzzman" Lauro © February
2011
We are very
pleased to have Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys join the ever
growing list of repeat performers here at www.Mary4Music.com. It's hard to
believe that four years have passed since I first worked with the band on the
"Big Bee" album. That's when there were just three altar
boys. Since then, the group has grown to eight of the chain
smokers.
Recorded live, over two sessions,
two different ensembles were used on "Shake Your Boogie". With
Reverend Raven, on guitar and vocals, as the constant, the CSAB consisted
of: Madison Slim on harmonica and vocals; Big Al Groth on saxophone; Bobby Lee
Sellers Jr and Spencer Panosh on drums; PT Pederson and Andre Maritato on
bass; and Mickey Larson and Danny Moore on piano & organ.
Additionally, Benny Rickum and Bill Stace performed background vocals
on one track.
"Stomping and Shouting"
are just a few of the motions this one will have you doin'. I'm sure
tappin' (foot), snappin' (fingers), bobbin' (head) and swayin' (body) will
be others. This one's your typical lock all the players into one hell
of a hot groove and let your front men loose kind of track.
The Reverend and the big guy are masterful on slide guitar and
saxophone.
It was only three seconds into
this track and I already knew it would make my highlights list.
Those opening scorching blues guitar notes immediately had me. Then in came Big
Al's deep, sultry sax sound followed by the Reverend belting the hell out some
blues and I knew I was listening to an amazingly well done version of
Little Milton's "Just Count The Days". This may very well have
been the best six minutes of my day today. The blues just doesn't get any
better than this.
If low down dirty blues is your
blues of choice, then one of several originals - "I Can Do You
Right" - will certainly do just that. In between two slow
and soulful vocal verses, Big Al - easily at discs best on
sax - performs a virtual two and a half minute tutorial on the
instrument.
I don't know what the dish is
but I promise you that whatever it is "PT's Home Cooking"
will be served hot. The ingredients for this instrumentally delicious
dish include portions of sizzlin' sax by Big Al, doses of tasty piano by
Danny, plenty of smokin' rhythm from Bobby and PT, and finger lickin'
guitar leads by the Reverend. You'll definitely want more than
one serving of this one - I'm already on my fourth. Phenomenal work
right here.
If you're planning on "Walking
To Chicago", do it while listening to this track - you'll get there
faster. This is one of those hard drivin', keep on truckin' type
songs that you just want to move fast to. After all, that's what all the
musicians are doing.
"Shake Your
Boogie" will surely get your booty shakin'. That will be
partly due to the unrestrained rhythm Spencer and Andre are putting out on
drums and bass, the frolicsome piano being played by Mickey, the
wailful harp blowin' from Madison and the torrid guitar
licks from the Reverend. If this one didn't get you moving, call a
doctor - quick.
Other tracks on "Shake Your
Boogie" include: "Looking For Love", "You Didn't Even Say
Goodbye", "She's Murder", "Bricks In My Pillow", "Like Wolf", "The Woman I
Love", and "Mailbox Blues".
In a statement I read on the
one sheet accompanying the disc, my good friend Bobby "Bluesbobby"
Weinberg is quoted as saying the music of Reverend Raven and the Chain
Smoking Altar Boys is "Blues the way it was meant to be played and blues
the way it was meant to be heard". I couldn't agree
more.
