Traffic
Traffic, British rock group of the 1960s and ’70s that was known for incorporating lengthy jazzlike improvisation into rock-music structures. Principal members included singer-keyboardist Steve Winwood, flutist-saxophonist Chris Wood, guitarist Dave Mason, and drummer Jim Capaldi. With such songs as “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and “Feelin’ Alright” (which was later covered by more than two dozen other artists, notably Joe Cocker), the band and its sound came to be regarded as the epitome of classic rock.
- Chris Wood (born June 24, 1944, Birmingham—died July 12, 1983, Birmingham)
- Dave Mason (born May 10, 1946, Worcester, Worcestershire, England—died April 19, 2026, Gardnerville, Nevada, U.S.)
Founded in 1967 and charting one of the most tumultuous careers in rock history, Traffic underwent substantial shifts in both musical style and membership. The group’s first incarnation was a psychedelic pop collective whose members lived together in Berkshire, England, and collaborated on the composition of most songs on their debut album, Mr. Fantasy (1967), which reached the British Top Ten. Mason departed briefly, returning just long enough to write half of the songs on Traffic (1968)—a hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States—before being fired.
Shortly thereafter, Winwood (who had already experienced fame as a teenager with the Spencer Davis Group) broke up the band and formed Blind Faith with former Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. In 1970, midway through recording a solo album, Winwood reconvened with Wood and Capaldi, releasing John Barleycorn Must Die as Traffic. The 1970s version of Traffic, built on this core trio, moved away from pop songcraft and forged a sound built on free-form improvisation, earning continued commercial success with The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971), Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (1973), and When the Eagle Flies (1974). Both on tour and in the studio, the group added and subtracted a number of additional musicians during these years before finally disbanding in 1975.
Winwood enjoyed a successful solo career in the 1980s. He and Capaldi reunited under the Traffic name in 1994 to record Far From Home. The pair also staged a successful concert tour. Mason also had some success as a solo artist. In 2024 he published his memoir (written with Chris Epting), Only You Know & I Know.
Traffic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.