THE LAST GREAT TRAFFIC JAM

Who would've thought this very late performance would be the first out on DVD? This is a rockumentary around the last Traffic tour (we'd have to think that with both Capaldi and Chris Wood gone, there will be no more) and is quite a pleasant affair. With Winwood being doubled on guitars and organs at will, while hogging the piano from the young Mike McEvoy, the group is now a sextet that managed to kick quite a bit of younger band's butts in the second 94 Woodstock >> Traffic was the only major absent in the first edition, causing the group to not gain the incredible boost to all participants.

Starting with the early Pearly Queen and a dynamite finale, the band is out to set the rec ord straight with the Medicated Goo (never my fave track, though) and a great Santana- esque Mozambique (from the album being promoted), before nailing the first real stunner into your brains: the superb 40 000 Headmen. The following Glad is perfect but missing its twin Freedom Rider. More than once, though the tracks are cut before their end by life-on- the-road pictures and comments and by the ¾ of the DVD, one can think that the improv were obviously not that important to the producer. The third nail is the orgiastic Low Spark but unfortunately followed by the average Light Up (from the same album) where Capaldi shows his limits as a singer, but allowing the usual presentations and solos. Dear Mr Fantasy is a bit impaired by the Dead Jerry Garcia, still recovering from his health scare, and the still-awesome Barleycorn is a major highlight as the first encore, and the usual crowd-pleaser Gimme Some Lovin'.

With Jim Capaldi looking quite wretched from the road and obviously affected by the loss of Chris Wood (here more than aptly replaced by the young Randall Bramblett), we have a happy return of one of the essential golden era actor and Winwood's will to reform the group was clearly a nod at the group being the high point of his career. Not as essential as their Live At Santa Monica 72 film , but still excellent.