Coffey blast

It's a calm Saturday morning on Detroit's West Grand Boulevard. Just west of Henry Ford Hospital, cars line both sides of the streets. The parking lot of the James H. Cole funeral home is overflowing, and, directly next door, patrons in small groups walk up to the Motown Museum, aka Hitsville USA, for an early morning weekend tour. The majority of these folks are tourists; some from Italy, some from Spain, all are on hand to learn more glorious musical minutiae about Motown Records, Detroit's fourth-biggest export behind the Big Three. Under a blanket of gray clouds outside, the sky looks like it won't be relinquishing any sun all day long. But for true music purists, there's some ray of sunshine. See, one of the hardest-working musicians in the history of the museum is about to walk in as the day's surprise guest. 

Guitar ace and longtime Detroit musician Dennis Coffey is parked outside in his gray Honda Accord. In a moment, he's carefully making his way into the building flanked by two women from London-based Strut Records, his new record label. People take note of Coffey; they have to. He's not recognizable by face, but he's obviously a star. Dressed sharply in a black suit, black tie, black Kangol hat and dark shades, Coffey steps into the Motown Museum as if he owns it. Motown Museum staffers at the ticket window reach out to shake his hand.

Many patrons waiting in line for the tour don't notice him. They've heard his guitar licks a thousand times — probably more — but like the majority of the Funk Brothers, the quality of his work has always superseded his appearance. It's a traditional Detroit way.

For much of the year, Coffey's name has been in and out of international music news mostly because his "comeback" album, the stellar, soul-drenched Dennis Coffey, which dropped in April. Going on 71, the popular session-man-turned-guitar-star grew tired of standing in the shadows and put out the first self-titled album of his life — his 14th — decades after he'd earned the right to do so. As it's worked out, the album is giving one of the most respected soul-funk guitarists of all time a legitimate career resurgence that most musicians his age only dream of, that is, if they're still alive. 

In the last year alone, Coffey's gotten more press, notoriety and first-rate gigs than he has had since his glory years of the '60s and '70s. He's signed a record deal with one of London's hippest labels, performed at music festivals around the world, including playing the main stage at Bonnaroo over the summer, the oldest dude performing. He did Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, sitting in with the Roots. In funk circles, dude's the comeback artist of the year and, having personally watched him perform shows in Austin, Texas, Detroit, and on the West Coast this year, audiences outside of the Motor City are more thrilled than local fans to see Coffey let it rip. That's just if we're talking U.S. fans. Funk lovers and Northern soul enthusiasts in the U.K. and abroad appreciate his individual contributions even more. Quinton Scott, owner of Strut Records, talks of the genesis of signing Coffey to a deal.

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