INTERVIEW: Dave Mason still loves playing live with a band
Photo: Dave Mason, a founding member of Traffic, is on tour with his own band. Photo courtesy of Chris Jensen / Provided by PR rep with permission.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, the guitarist known for a string of solo hits and songs with the band Traffic, still makes the rounds on a seemingly nonstop tour of the world. The bluesy musician recently gigged around the nation with Steve Cropper, another venerable wellspring of music, and now Mason is heading out on the road to bring his many hits to his many fans.
Mason pulls in Friday, Nov. 9 to the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, New Jersey, followed by dates in Woodstock, New York, and State College, Pennsylvania. Joining him on stage will be up-and-coming singer Gretchen Rhodes (who has played with Mick Fleetwood), Johnne Sambataro (guitar and vocals), Tony Patler (keyboards and vocals) and Alvino Bennett (drums).
Mason, of course, is a founding member of Traffic, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago. He is known for such songs as “We Just Disagree,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Feelin’ Alright,” and “Only You Know and I Know.” He plans to bring most of his hits to New Jersey for fans of his guitar playing.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox spoke with Mason about the upcoming tour. Here’s what he had to say:
On what audiences can expect in New Jersey …
“I’ve got obviously some of the classic Dave Mason songs. I do some Traffic stuff, but I’ve kind of got my own versions of some of those songs. And then I also have a great girl singer in the band, Gretchen Rhodes, so she had been singing with Mick Fleetwood and his band over in Hawaii at his club for the last 10-12 years. So we have that in common because I was with Fleetwood Mac from ‘94 to ‘96, so we include an old Fleetwood Mac song … So there’s some really cool different stuff in there. The band, of course, they’ve all been with me a long time.”
On his tour with Steve Cropper …
“That was great. That was a really good tour. We actually did a really good live CD from that, which unfortunately these days is only available at the shows or at the website, DaveMasonMusic.com. That was great to be doing that with him.”
On his history with Cropper …
“I met him a number of years ago in Los Angeles, but I reconnected with him a couple of years ago. It wasn’t a long, ongoing relationship, but obviously I was a big fan of Booker T & the MG’s. Of course, the man has played on so many records, it’s ridiculous. … His credentials are huge.”
On building a set list with such an impressive back catalog …
“There’s things that have been in there for a long time, ‘Look at You Look at Me,’ ‘We Just Disagree,’ ‘Only You and I Know,’ ‘All Along the Watchtower.’ They’re sort of staples, and then you try to pick other stuff that will work in the set. But obviously there’s always something I didn’t do.”
On being inducted with Traffic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame …
“It was nice to be finally recognized for contributions to Traffic after so long, but, yeah, basically it was nice to be recognized finally.”
On when he first picked up a guitar and started playing …
“I was 12, 13, 14, 15. Started playing guitar when I was 15, so, yeah, I’ve always been in school choirs and stuff like that. … It was what I was attracted to I guess. It was just cool. Playing guitar was kind of the next thing from model airplanes for me. [laughs]”
On his continued dedication to touring …
“I love playing live with a band. Basically it’s as simple as that. Nothing really more complicated. I just love playing. As long as I can still do it, I will do it.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dave Mason will play Friday, Nov. 9 to the Scottish Rite Auditorium Collingswood, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
