Dennis Coffey: Dennis Coffey

Dennis Coffey: Dennis Coffey
Guitarist, Dennis Coffey got his chops playing sessions with Del Shannon, Edwin Starr, Isley Brothers, and The Supremes before hitting it big with his own instrumental single “Scorpio” in 1971. Coffey remained dormant for much of the 90s and 00s but there has been a recent resurgence in interest in the guitarist. In 2004, he published a memoir, Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars and in 2006, he released Rise of the Phoenix, his first new album since 1990. Now, Coffey has a new home with Strut Records and releases a self-titled album that consists of new songs and new versions of older tunes.
The record really shows off Coffey’s versatility. The record starts with the instrumental, “7th Galaxy” that sounds more like a U2 instrumental than the funk that Coffey is known for. The track’s distorted and reverb-heavy guitars are very modern rock-ish.
The record pretty quickly gets back to Coffey’s funk roots. “Don’t Knock My Love” features horns and a female vocalist. The track reminds me of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings with a stronger guitar presence. Other instrumental tracks like “Space Traveller” are reminiscent of Coffey’s work on blaxploitation films with a gritty funk sound.
While the record does not show Coffey attempting to further his signature sound, there is no need to. Coffey is comfortable where he is and he is obviously one of the best at his craft. His self-titled album shows a funk guitarist who is on top of his game.
Rating: 7.6/10
MP3: Dennis Coffey “Don’t Knock My Love”
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