BAND SPOTLIGHT | Reverend Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys

Considered one of the finest traditional sounding, electric Chicago blues bands working the Midwest, the group, featuring the right Reverend on guitar and vocals, P.T.

Pedersen SC on bass, Bobby Lee Sellers, Jr. on drums and vocals, Danny Moore on piano and organ, and Big Al Groth on saxophone, contains a couple hundred years’ worth of righteous blues grooves, with entire lives dedicated to playing the blues. Rolling into central Illinois direct from Indianapolis’ Slippery Noodle, one of the top-notch blues venues in the world, the good Reverend can be judged by the places he plays. Winner of several WAMIs (the Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards), these guys just do it right wherever and whenever they go, doing mostly originals flavored heavily with the sounds of classic blues performers, such as BB, Freddie and Albert King, Slim Harpo, Little Walter and Junior Wells.

Catch them at Milwaukee’s superb Summerfest festival on July 5 and check out their several CDs of original music available in person or online.