The Beach Reporter
http://www.tbrnews.com/articles/2008..._out/step3.txt
Stepping Out
Long Time Coming
by Michael Hixon
(Updated: Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:17 AM PST)
Even after more than 40 years of making hit music, singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Mason hasn’t slowed down at all, with more than 130 shows under his belt already this year.
In his early 20s, Mason made a name as a co-founder of Traffic with Steve Winwood, cranking out hits like “Feelin’ Alright’” and “Hole in my Shoe.” During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mason recorded with the likes of Jimi Hendrix on his landmark 1967 “Electric Ladyland” double LP, The Rolling Stones’ classic 1968 album “Beggars Banquet” and George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” in 1970. His first single, “Little Woman,” was released in 1968, but he had his first hit with 1970’s “Only You Know and I Know” off his debut solo album, “Alone Together.” Mason had his biggest solo success in 1977 when “We Just Disagree” hit No. 12 on the Billboard charts that helped push the album “Let it Flow” to multiplatinum sales. Over his four-decade career, Mason also recorded with Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Phoebe Snow, Michael Jackson, Cass Elliot, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Stephen Stills, Ron Wood, Stevie Wonder and Winwood during his solo career.
In October, Mason released his first album of original material since 1987. The new album, “26 Letters - 12 Notes,” features 12 tracks of “blues-tinged” classic rock. His band includes Gerard Johnson on bass, John Sambataro on guitar, Alvino Bennett on drums and Bill Mason on keyboard. Guest musicians on the album include Willie Nelson and Sheila E.
Mason will be performing at Brixton, which is located at 100-J Fisherman’s Wharf in Redondo Beach, Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information, visit
www.brixtonsouthbay.com or call (310) 406-1931. Mason recently spoke to The Beach Reporter about the new album and his long career in music.
I know your new album came out recently and it’s been a while since you released some new material. What was the delay?
Mason: (laughs) There was really nowhere to really get it out properly and the tastes were not there for the music. It just happened when it happened. I didn’t start making the album with any intention of putting it out, frankly. If something was going to happen, that was fine but with the state of the way things are, it’s just very difficult getting something out and getting it promoted so people even know it’s out there.
Going back to pre-Traffic days, what were your inspirations and how did you become a musician?
I just wanted to pick up a guitar when I was 15 because I saw all these bands and heard their music. I figured, ‘Oh, I can probably do that.’
Was it the Beatles that got you interested or was it something else?
I was listening to early stuff, my mother’s 78s were the Platters, stuff like that. Then I was listening to a lot of instrumental stuff like the Shadows and the Ventures, and then sort of learned how to play guitar. It just went from there. I was 100 percent into it. Part of it was, I don’t know, just a passionate desire for it. Traffic then developed and then I started writing and it went from there.
Was there a heavy R&B influence when you first started?
That’s where it started when I was 15. I started to listen to all kinds of music. Motown was huge over there, the blues. Motown records back then were not played on white stations in the U.S. at that time when they were still having huge hits out of Detroit. We were listening to all of that music over there and grew up with it, just basically turned America back on to its own music.
What was it about Traffic that clicked?
Well, there was interest in it in the first place because of Steve Winwood. He already had a number of top 10 records in England with the Spencer Davis Group. So obviously it had the media coverage and then we were different in our own way. Jim (Capaldi) was way into Elvis Presley when he was young and he did a great Elvis imitation fronting a band called the Sapphires. We were into that kind of stuff, cool records. I guess we had more of a pop sensibility. Chris (Wood) was an art student who played sax so he was way avant-garde, on the edge of stuff. I had more of a pop sensibility, I suppose, but the difference is, I guess would have made it great, but the difference drove it apart unfortunately. We literally were the first band that disappeared into the English countryside and locked ourselves away instead of going straight to London.
You had quite a bit of success with Traffic and then you went solo and you worked with a number of legendary artists…
I was lucky enough to record with Hendrix, playing the acoustic guitar and sang a little on ‘Crosstown Traffic.’ There were some other tracks we did where I played bass and sitar but I don’t really know what happened to them at this point. I played a little something on ‘All Things Must Pass’ and ‘Beggars Banquet.” I was lucky enough to record with a number of people, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson. It’s been interesting.
What do you feel is the highlight of your long recording career?
Every one of them were highlights. It was great that they wanted to play. I mean, Stevie Wonder played on a song of mine called ‘Lonely One.’ Michael Jackson sang on a song called ‘Save Me.’ It was interesting that they knew the music and wanted to do it. The opportunity to play with Hendrix, the Stones, McCartney, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, they’ve all been great. It’s always great when you get something like that together with some people who are trying to make something happen. Usually something interesting comes out.
Is there anything you would like to add about the album or performing here next week?
I think the album is some of the better stuff I’ve done in a lot of ways.
Why do you feel that?
Because I do (laughs). I like it. It’s about the only one I can keep listening to and I’ve been listening to it for about six years. I think there’s some great stuff on there.
What will you be performing at Brixton?
We do a few of the songs on there, about four or five of them, and mix in Traffic and solo songs.