Whoever came up with the phrase “marches to the beat of his own drummer” could well have been talking about Dave Mason, who performs an acoustic Nov. 29 at Infinity Hall. Mason has had a fascinating career collaborating with some of the biggest performers of the rock ‘n’ roll era, without ever really getting the recognition he’s probably earned.
He co-founded Traffic, which is more commonly associated with Steve Winwood. He played acoustic guitar on Jimi Hendrix’s cover of “All Along the Watchtower,” in the shadow of one of the greatest guitarist ever. He contributed to the Rolling Stones’ 1968 classic “Beggars Banquet,” but was uncredited. He played in Fleetwood Mac, but long after the band’s prime. It’s even said that he was supposed to be the second guitar player alongside Eric Clapton in Derek and the Dominoes, a role that went to Duane Allman instead.
Although Mason’s songwriting credits include Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright,” which was later a hit for Joe Cocker; his biggest commercial success came a decade later on “We Just Disagree,” which was written by someone else (Jim Krueger, for you trivia buffs).
Through it all, Mason has persevered, releasing a dozen studio albums and half again as many live albums, and has kept up an impressive tour schedule for decades. Though he’s not as big a legend as he should be, Mason is a giant nonetheless.
[More Details] Ticket Price: $60, $80
Infinity Music Hall & Bistro 