Recorded back in 2006 but never issued, Live At Baker's finds soulful guitar slinger Dennis Coffey in the company of his tight organ combo.
Dennis Coffey’s first recording date was in the 1950s, when he was only 15. Years later, he would become a member of The Funk Brothers, playing on hits like Edwin Starr’s “War” and laying down the solo on The Temptations’ “Ball Of Confusion.” He also performed on tracks with Parliament/Funkadelic, Wilson Pickett, Chairmen Of The Board, and produced Cold Fact for Rodriguez. That’s some resume!
But, even as a session musician, Coffey shines brightest playing live, as evidenced on the acclaimed One Night At Morey’s: 1968, a previously unissued set released last year.
Live At Baker’s brings Dennis’ live legacy into this century, with Coffey and his band (two-time Detroit Music Award winner Demetrius Nabors on keys, Grammy-nominated Gaelynn McKinney on drums and bassist Damon Warmack) tearing through nine tracks, which include covers of Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, and The Temptations—plus a searing version of Coffey’s own Top 10 1971 hit, “Scorpio,” one of the earliest songs by a white artist played on Soul Train. “Scorpio” has been sampled over 90 times ensuring that its captivating qualities will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Live At Baker’s, recorded in 2006, features liner notes from writer Bill Kopp and a new interview with Coffey. Enter the club, get your groove on, and truly feel the soulful guitar magic of the legendary Dennis Coffey. Live At Baker's is due March 1 from Omnivore Recordings. Pre-order it right here. Check the track list following the trailer below.
Dennis Coffey – Live At Baker's
LITTLE SUNFLOWER
CHICAGO SONG
SCORPIO
MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT
JUST MY IMAGINATION
THE SERMON
ALL BLUES
WAY BACK HOME
DINK’S BLUES
Dennis Coffey's rare recording from Morey Baker's Showplace Lounge is being released by Omnivore on June 1.
A previously unissued live set from Detroit in 1968!
Dennis Coffey is a guitar legend. From his early work with The Royaltones (who also backed other artists like Del Shannon) — to his run through the Motor City’s independent labels as a session ace — to his pioneering and legendary work with The Funk Brothers, backing band to massive Motown hits like “Just My Imagination,” “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today),” “War,” “Cloud Nine,” “Someday We’ll Be Together” and “Band Of Gold” among many others — he's one of the most important six-string slingers on the Detroit scene during the 60s.
And Dennis didn't slow down for one second during the 70s either as he struck out on his own and had a million selling hit with “Scorpio,” in 1971. He continued his studio session work (notably appearing on “Boogie Fever” by The Sylvers), scored films and produced other artists’ albums like Gallery’s Nice To Be With You and Rodriguez’ cult classic Cold Fact.
The 2000s have found Dennis appearing on the big screen including the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown and the 2012’s Searching For Sugarman. And to this very day you can find him playing every Tuesday night in Detroit.
One Night At Morey’s: 1968 is drawn from the residency at Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge in Detroit by the Lyman Woodard Trio. The trio consisted of Coffey on guitar, brilliant organist, Lyman Woodard, and drummer Melvin Davis, and could be found at Morey’s once a week. They played to a dedicated, often repeat, audience so the band kept the repertoire fresh and changing. One Night At Morey’s: 1968 follows last year’s Hot Coffey In The D: Burnin’ At Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge released by Resonance Records, also drawn from the Morey’s residency, but with an entirely different track list.
All tracks on One Night At Morey’s: 1968 are previously unissued and come directly from the vaults of Dennis Coffey and producer partner, Mike Theodore. Tracks include original compositions, “Big City Lights,” “Mindbender,” and “Union Station,” as well as surprising and funky covers of “Billie’s Bounce” by Charlie Parker, “Burning Spear” by The Soulful Strings (written and arranged by Richard Evans), “Cissy Strut” by The Meters, “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, “Groovin’” by The Young Rascals, and “I’m A Midnight Mover” by Wilson Pickett co-written by Pickett and Bobby Womack. Check the track list followed by a preview trailer below.
One Night At Morey's: 1968 I’M A MIDNIGHT MOVER ELEANOR RIGBY CISSY STRUT GROOVIN’ BURNING SPEAR IT’S YOUR THING/UNION STATION MINDBENDER BIG CITY LIGHTS BILLIE’S BOUNCE
Unless you happened to be watching Late Night withJimmy Fallon last night and saw Dennis Coffey knocking out nasty guitar licks with the Roots, the well-dressed bearded bloke could easily be mistaken for a real estate agent or financial advisor. However, if you've heard the Temptations' Ball Of Confusion, Cloud Nine or Edwin Starr's War, you're already familiar with the scorching wah-wah work that is Coffey's signature guitar sound. Part of Motown's superb studio crew known as the "Funk Brothers," Coffey was the first-call guitarist in the late 60s whenever one of Berry Gordy Jr.'s recording projects needed a heavy guitar boost.
Beyond Coffey's psychedelicized sessions for the Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and Edwin Starr, the go-to guitar great can also be heard on unforgettable tracks like Freda Payne's Band Of Gold, The Spinners' It's A Shame, Chairman of the Board's Give Me Just A Little More Time, Johnny Taylor's Who's Makin' Love, Honey Cone's Want Ads, The Sylvers' Boogie Fever, CJ & Co's Devil's Gun, Darrell Banks' Open The Door To Your Heart, J.J. Barnes' Real Humdinger, Little Carl Carlton's Competition Ain't Nothin' and many others. That's not even counting the amazing instrumental joints he cut under his own name like the million-selling breakbeat stunner Scorpio, the hard-hustlin' soundtrack to Black Belt Jones and the super dope Hair and Thangs album. Check out the podcast Constellations – The A To Z of Dennis Coffey below put together by Detroit's DJ House Shoes.
Coffey's new self-titled studio album which the UK-based Strut label released at the end of April picks up where he left off with 1969's Hair And Thangs, updating a well-chosen selection of Detroit productions past with an impressive cast of guest collaborators. Fanny Franklin from Cali-funk combo Orgone sweetly overhauls Wilson Pickett’s psych-soul gem Don’t Knock My Love and no doubt even Steve Mancha would approve of the way Lisa Kekaula of The Bellrays belts out 100 Proof Aged In Soul's house-wrecker Somebody’s Been Sleeping In My Bed. Coffey's fellow D-Towners Mick Collins (of the Dirtbombs) and the Detroit Cobras’ Rachel Nagy show up for darkly demented swing at Funkadelic’s I Bet You and the largely overlooked Rodriguez number Only Good For Conversation is competently handled by Scots upstart Paolo Nutini. Even Stones Throw's resident crooner Mayer Hawthowrne doesn't do too badly with Parliament's All Your Goodies Are Gone.
What impressed me most were the surprisingly solid new compositions like Miss Millie built around a pounding groove laid down by Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth and the mighty instrumentals which recall Coffey's work with the Detroit Guitar Band, namely the opener 7th Galaxy, Knockabout and the cosmically twerked Space Traveller.
There's no telling who might be joining Coffey on stage for his Toronto return slated for the Horseshoe on Friday (July 8) but it's sure to be a memorable event. Tickets are $22.50 advance or $25 at the door but you can win one of two free pairs we're giving away if you're among the first to tell us Coffey's astrological sign. Email your answer on the double to the theperlichpost@gmail..com with "Dennis Coffey Contest" in the subject line. Only the winners will be notified. NOTE: Winners must be 19 or over and present valid ID when picking up their tickets in person at the Horseshoe on Friday.
When the promotion-savvy folks at Strut come up with the concept of putting together a Dennis Coffey retrospective refresher to show off his considerable contributions to the world of soul, funk, and hip-hop as a prelude to his impressive comeback album, they wisely went to Detroit's House Shoes. Sometimes called "Detroit's musical ambassador," House Shoes is not only well aware of Coffey's extensive back catalogue and how it has been used by hip hop producers, he also happens to be a better than average mix DJ. On the resulting Constellations - The A to Z of Dennis Coffey, House Shoes covers all the bases, moving from the psychedelic b-boy soul of Coffey's 70's solo material, to the classic recordings he played on as a session ace, the joints sampled for hip-hop tracks, and he even snuck in a couple of pieces (*) from the new album which fit in seamlessly alongside with his old school faves.
Constellations – The A To Z of Dennis Coffey
01. Scorpio Intro - (ft. Dennis Coffey, Jazzy Jeff, Jake One, & Q-Tip) 02. LL Cool J - Jinglin' Baby 03. Dennis Coffey - Main Theme (Black Belt Jones OST) 04. Dennis Coffey - 7th Galaxy * 05. Dennis Coffey - Ride Sally Ride 06. The Temptations - Cloud Nine 07. Rodriguez - Sugar Man 08. Marvin Gaye - I Want You 09. Dennis Coffey - Garden Of The Moon 10. The Spinners - It's A Shame 11. Dennis Coffey - Never Can Say Goodbye 12. Dennis Coffey - Whole Lotta Love 13. Diamond D - No Wonduh 14. Isley Brothers / Dennis Coffey & Lyman Woodward - It's Your Thing 15. The Floaters - Float On 16. The Dramatics - In The Rain 17. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get 18. Dennis Coffey feat. Mick Collins (Dirtbombs) & Rachel Nagy (Detroit Cobras) - I Bet You * 19. Edwin Starr - Easin' In (Hell Up In Harlem) / Digable Planets (Nickle Bags) 20. The Temptations - I Can't Get Next To You 21. The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes 22. Dennis Coffey feat. Mayer Hawthorne - All Your Goodies Are Gone * 23. Outro
There's a new Andre Williams album called That's All I Need being released by Bloodshot on May 18 but it's not his new recording with The Sadies overseen by Jon Spencer. Evidently Andre's much-anticipated Sadies reunion set is finished and ready to go but they're still looking for a suitable label home for it. So while the backroom wheeling and dealing continues, the other Andre studio set, which the fabulous Mr. Rhythm put down in his old Motor City stomping grounds, is being issued by Bloodshot to placate Andre addicts jonesing for new joints.
That's All I Need was produced by Outrageous Cherry singer/guitarist Matt Smith who enlisted his regular crew of D-Town delinquents including drummers Dave Shettler (The Sights) and Michael Alonso (Electric Six), bassist Troy Gregory (Flotsam and Jetsam, Prong) and guitarist Eric Villa (Valentinos). If some of those names sound familiar it's because Smith used largely the same cast to cut Nathaniel Mayer's two not-so-hot albums for Alive. That's certainly cause for concern but we can only hope that Smith and company have learned something from the mistakes made on Mayer's albums. Hey, it could happen.
To his credit, Smith had the good sense to hire certified Detroit guitar ace Dennis Coffey to play the tricky parts so that's a big plus although it's unfortunate Smith couldn't manage to get Coffey's fellow Funk Brothers Bob Babbitt and Ray Monette in on the action. Those interested in picking up That's All I Need should note that Bloodshot's limited edition vinyl version of the album includes a digital download option and two bonus tracks. And if you pre-order now through Bloodshot's site (see link below) you get a free 11"x17" colour poster!
