Classic rock legend Dave Mason bears witness to a career’s worth of historic hapenings on the Basie stage Thursday night.
It wasn’t what you might have called a heavy-traffic day in Red Bank on February 10, 2010, when a paralyzing blizzard brought most movement to a snow-hushed halt — with the notable exception of Steve Winwood‘s tour bus, which crept into town so that the rock legend could perform an as-scheduled show for the benefit of what turned out to be a precious few attendees.
While the forecast for Thursday, January 15 calls neither for slammings of snow nor sightings of Steve, there is a Traffic alert being issued for the area in and around the stage of the Count Basie Theatre — where Winwood’s onetime colleague in that jazzy, jammy British band is due to arrive for a career-spanning concert presented under the name Dave Mason‘s Traffic Jam.
Billed as “A Retrospective” look at one of the longest, most eclectic (and largely below household-name radar) runs in popular music, the 8 pm set finds the guitarist, singer and songwriter offering a crash-course history lesson in all things Dave — from the psychedelic pop of the early Traffic recordings like “Feelin’ Alright” (turns out Mason wrote that standard associated with the recently passed Joe Cocker) to successful solo outings like “We Just Disagree” (yeah, that was him too), and tributes to heavy friends like Jimi Hendrix, with whom he collaborated on that epochal cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” There may even be some nods to several of his other past partners in song — a cast of characters that ranges from Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones to Michael Jackson and Mama Cass Elliott.
Tickets ($39 – $69, with a limited number of $125 VIP meet-and-greet options available) can be reserved right here.
