Reverend Raven & Westside Andy and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys – Way Back Home
Nevermore Records
11 tracks/49 minutes
It’s been nine years since we’ve had the privilege to hear a new Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys album. Rik Raven and Andy Linderman have been together many a year now and this is the first release that features an entire set of songs with those two on each cut. These two original tunes and nine well-chosen covers are the amazing sound of the band that tours and plays hundreds of gigs each year. Each song captures the essence of these seasoned professional musicians.
Reverend Rik Raven sublimely handles the vocals and guitar. Westside Andy Linderman on the Mississippi saxophone is one of the best at his craft and showcases those skills on each track. Craig Panosh on drums and P.T. Peterson on bass serve as one of the most solid and in sync back-lines of any band, anywhere. These four guys are a team and their playbook is something they all know and believe in. We get to hear them deliver the goods as few bands can– these guys are amazing and have created an album that needs to be in your collection!
“Fine Woman Blues” gets the ball rolling with a tight boogie, strident guitar, solid keyboard and superb harp. Raven delivers the goods to open this album with a cut Elvis made famous. The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys make it their own with this outstanding effort as they rock things out sweetly. “Crazy For My Baby” takes Willie Dixon’s tune and works it into a slick rendition with Andy’s harp and Dennis’ organ filling in the blanks sweetly. Raven’s guitar is spot on and his vocals are oh-so smooth. Linderman offers up a wonderful solo to seal the deal for the listener. This is truly great stuff!
The title track follows. This is the old Jazz Crusaders cut that Westside Andy has made his own with some of the most spectacular harp work anyone has ever heard. This is five and a half minutes of harmonica bliss, one of my all time favorite instrumentals. The organ fills in sweetly to help set the tone and the guitar offers splendid punctuation to the tune, but the solid harp is what makes this special. I can listen to Westside Andy play this over and over again and never tire of it; this alone is worth the price of admission. “Black Coffee” is up next. The tune was written by Sonny Burke and the lyrics are by Paul Francis Webster. Published in 1948, Sarah Vaughan charted with this song in 1949 on Columbia Records and made it a jazz standard. Peggy Lee jumped on the tune four years later on her initial album and countless performers have taken this hit song to play and sing. Reverend Raven swings with his own take on the tune, accompanied by the CSABs. He sings with emotion as PT lays out a slick groove. The piano and organ back things up nicely and Andy offers some tasty licks on the harp. Rik concludes with a cool guitar solo before taking us home with the final chorus.
The next two cuts are Reverend Raven originals. “Jiggle My Junk” is a fun rhumba cut I’ve heard many times at the CSAB’s shows with the Rev telling us what the TSA did with his dangling stuff. Andy offers another fine and blistering solo for all to enjoy. Rik concludes the track with another great guitar solo to conclude things with a musical exclamation point. The somber “Help Me Ease the Pain” tells the story of a lost love who abandoned her man. Despite her beloved’s amorous affection, she has go to California and left him behind. Andy helps set the tone with some down and dirty harp that stings at your heart as do Rik’s vocals. The song builds to an angry conclusion with hot guitar licks and accompaniment to musically show the spurned lover’s ire.
The old Slim Harpo piece “I Need Money” jumps and swings under the Rev’s delivery. He gives it his all to get the ball rolling Westside Andy joins the fray with some delightful harp and later helps bring things to a rousing conclusion and he and Rev have a ball with this one. “Comin’ Home” is a song written as an instrumental by Ben Tucker. It was first recorded by the Dave Bailey Quintet for their 1961 album 2 Feet in the Gutter, and then was covered by Herbie Mann on his live album Herbie Mann at the Village Gate. Lyrics were later added by Bob Dorough, and Mel Torme made the lyrical version became a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. Here we have the instrumental version with Westside Andy giving us some impassioned harp and the Rev playing inspired guitar. This is another super cut!
The 1949 cut “Hip Shakin’ Mama” by Chubby Newsom & Her Hip Shakers is covered here in a very swinging version. Not to be confused with an Irma Thomas tune of the same name, this one is a jumping and cool song with the Rev telling us how well his woman can shake it. Andy gets to offer up some more exceptional harp licks and the Rev returns for more vocal delights before offering up a solo of his own on guitar. Craig Panosh gets time to shine on drums and he’s always a delight to hear when he is featured on the drums. “I’m Leavin’ You” is a classic Howlin’ Wolf song that the Rev takes charge of and makes his as he sings with authority. The formula of a Linderman Harp solo followed by another verse and chorus and then a fine guitar solo works well once again as the CSABs deliver another winner.
The album concludes with a track from on one my favorite artists, the inimitable Magic Slim. Raven give it his all on vocals, Andy nails his harp solo as does Rik on guitar. It’s a rollicking and rousing tune to finish off a wonderful album that the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys feature these great songs here on the album and at the their amazing shows. There is nothing like hearing them live, but in the meantime one can enjoy their work with this fantastic new album of their songs. This is truly great stuff and you really need to have a copy to keep in your collection and play over and over again!
