Classics, Straight Ahead: Traffic Co-Founder Dave Mason Tunes Up for a New Tour

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DAVE MASON MAY BE one of classic rock's unsung heroes. As a teenager in the 1960s, he co-founded Traffic with Steve Winwood and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, the Stones and George Harrison. In the '70s, he scored a handful of hits as a solo artist, and two decades later, he joined Fleetwood Mac.

"I was fortunate to be around and get next to some significant people," the guitarist says of his career. "It was a learning experience."

Despite an impressive resume, Mason says it has become difficult for older musicians to get material out to new fans. "In the media, they're not exactly clambering for 63-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guys, no matter how good the music is," he explains.

"For an artist like me — a classic artist performing at his peak — there's not a lot of ways to let people know you've got something new out there, which is unfortunate."

Mason's something new is "26 Letters and 12 Notes," his first album of new material in more than 20 years. The collection spans an impressive range of styles, features guests like Willie Nelson and Sheila E, and showcases his inventive yet restrained guitar work.

Interest from a friend's label in Chicago led to a release in 2008 and strong reviews for his comeback, as well as a lengthy tour to showcase the new material alongside old favorites. At his shows, Mason says, "there's no flash. It's just straight-ahead good music. I just try to send people out of the theater in a better mood than they were in before."

» State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church; Sun., Nov. 1, 8 p.m., $23; 703-237-0300. (East Falls Church)

Written by Stephen M. Deusner
Photo courtesy Out of the Box Records