Jeff Coffey, “Got to Get Away” (2018): One Track Mind

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Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Coffey has stepped off of Bus No. 2 and back into his solo career.

Coffey was Chicago’s replacement for bassist/vocalist Jason Scheff, who earlier replaced co-founding member Peter Cetera. He only played the same songs for two seasons, yet Coffey made a favorable impression on fans with his spot-on tenor and a bass approach that was more direct than Scheff’s funky style.

Many fans anticipated new Chicago music featuring Coffey, but instead he quickly exited, citing the group’s relentless touring schedule. Luckily, Jeff Coffey seems to have no intention of resting on the beach.

His first post-Chicago solo effort is “Got to Get Away,” a single with a jaunty rock, adult-contemporary feel. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Coffey ties in moving percussion, twangy guitars and a rock-steady back beat. There’s even a Terry Kath-like distorted guitar solo to propel the track along.

Evident too are Jeff Coffey’s high and tight tenor vocals, which he multi-tracks for a strong chorus in the song. “Got to Get Away” doesn’t sound like Chicago; instead, it has a more obvious link to Coffey’s two prior solo albums.

The result is a great spring-break song, as Jeff Coffey’s “Got to Get Away” whets the appetite for a full-fledged solo album to arrive this summer.


Preston Frazier