Usually known for mining the vaults of jazz Hall of Famers like Wes Montgomery and Bill Evans, Resonance Records producers Zev Feldman, Kevin Goins and George Klabin occasionally throw us material by an artist undeservedly overlooked over the years. This album is such an example, as many decades ago guitarist Dennis Coffey was one of the most in-demand session guys in the Detroit/Motown scene, being one of the Funk Brothers for a ton of hip soul tunes such as “Dearly Beloved” and “Just Like Romeo and Juliet.” Also in the same scene was organist Lyman Woodard, who was with Martha (Reeves) and the Vandellas, and Motown drummer Melvin Davis from Smokey Robinson’s band. Reflecting the mix of jazz, soul and rock, these three gents would get together and jam, as this 1968 recording from (could I be making this up?) Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge in Detroit testifies.
The late 60s were a time when there were very few musical boundaries and all genres of musicians were learning from one another. This ecumenical attitude shines out in this gig, as you get a mix of covers as well as rocking originals such as “Fuzz” with wild electric guitar solos, changing grooves and funkification as well as the irresistible “The Big D” which makes you want to wear a floppy hat and wide whale chords to Coffey’s wah wah-ing strings.
Because these gents were in the studio for a wide variety of artists, they felt at home in any type of tune. So, even Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” gets a funky back beat boogaloo and Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love” is stretched to the hilt as Woodard builds up a dramatic volcano of musical lava to overflow in between the chairs at the club. Best of all is a take of Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” that has the B3 oozing honey, Coffey taking no prisoners and Davis snapping the ride cymbal like he’s riding the whip on Red River. This music gives definition to the then colloquial term, “GIT DOWN!”
Resonance Records