Jim Capaldi

Jim Capaldi was widely respected not simply as Traffic’s drummer, but as a complete musician whose playing came from a deep understanding of the song.

His style was never about filling every available space. Jim listened. He knew when to push a performance forward, when to sit inside the groove and when leaving something out would give the music greater power.

Joe Walsh later recalled watching Jim play and being amazed by how effortless it appeared — everything exactly where it needed to be, with nothing added merely for display.

That restraint is part of what makes Jim’s drumming so distinctive. On Traffic recordings, the drums are constantly communicating with Steve Winwood’s keyboards and Chris Wood’s saxophone or flute. Jim could make an unusual arrangement feel natural because he understood its emotional direction as well as its rhythm.

Which recording would you choose to demonstrate Jim’s greatness behind the kit?

#JimCapaldi #Traffic #BehindTheKit

2 days ago | [YT] | 64

Jim Capaldi

When Jim Capaldi returned to Island Records with Some Come Running in 1988, he was joined by an extraordinary circle of friends and collaborators.

Steve Winwood played guitar and keyboards and added backing vocals. Eric Clapton appeared on “You Are the One” and “Oh Lord, Why Lord”, while George Harrison also played guitar on “Oh Lord, Why Lord”. Mick Ralphs contributed to “Take Me Home”.

It is an impressive collection of names, but the album never feels like a parade of guest appearances. These were musicians who understood Jim’s writing, his instincts and his belief that the song should always come first.

The result was polished and contemporary, but still grounded in the warmth, directness and melodic sense that ran throughout Jim’s work.

Which collaboration on the album would you place under the spotlight?

Listen Now: lnk.to/JimCapaldi-running



#JimCapaldi #SomeComeRunning #IslandRecords

1 week ago | [YT] | 64

Jim Capaldi

On 3 July 1971, Traffic and friends took the stage at the Polytechnic of Central London for a benefit concert in support of Oz magazine.

Recordings from that evening became part of Welcome to the Canteen, alongside material recorded at Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

With Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, Dave Mason, Ric Grech and Reebop Kwaku Baah in the line-up, the music had the feeling of a group rediscovering old songs in real time — stretching arrangements, responding to one another and allowing the rhythm to lead.

Jim is right at the centre of that movement: forceful when the music needs lifting, but always listening to what is happening around him.

What is your favourite performance on Welcome to the Canteen?

Listen now: lnk.to/Traffic-Canteen



#JimCapaldi #Traffic #WelcomeToTheCanteen

1 week ago | [YT] | 57

Jim Capaldi

Spotlight on the Muscle Shoals Horns — a specific horn section, not just a catch-all for the wider Muscle Shoals studio story. The classic core line-up is Harrison Calloway Jr (trumpet), Ronnie Eades (baritone sax), Harvey Thompson (sax/flute) and Charles Rose (trombone).

What they bring is more than “brass on top”: they answer the vocal, tighten the groove, and raise the stakes with parts that feel composed, not pasted on. You can hear that impact all over Jim’s Whale Meat Again — especially in the way the record lifts and sharpens when the horns enter on “It’s Alright”, the title track “Whale Meat Again”, “I’ve Got So Much Lovin’”, and “My Brother.”

Their reach goes way beyond one scene: sources tie them to work with artists including Elton John (they also toured with him in the mid-’70s and played on “Philadelphia Freedom”), plus names like Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, and The Osmonds.

Listen to Whale Meat Again here: lnk.to/JimCapaldi-whale

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 32

Jim Capaldi

This Island-era promo portrait says a lot: Jim looking straight down the lens — calm, wired, ready.

“Summer Is Fading” is the moment on Whale Meat Again where the album turns inward — late on Side Two, after the grooves have done their work.

Credits tell you why it feels like a different room: Steve Winwood on bass + organ, Gaspar Lawal on drums, with Reebop (conga) and Derek Quinn (cabassa) adding that slow-sway. And the concept is credited to Vivian Stanshall.

And today? That title hits like a feeling a lot of us know — seasons shifting, time slipping, the long exhale after the noise. 🌒

Do you play it as the album’s emotional centrepiece, or save it for late-night listening?

Listen Now - lnk.to/JimCapaldi-whale

#JimCapaldi #WhaleMeatAgain #IslandRecords

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 67

Jim Capaldi

On this day in 1974, Jim Capaldi’s “It’s All Up To You” arrived as a UK Island 7-inch single, catalogue WIP 6198 — with “Whale Meat Again” on the B-side.

It’s a brilliant two-sided introduction: the A-side is all emotional clarity and melody; then you flip it and you’re in the thicker, sharper world of “Whale Meat Again”. And if you’re tracing the solo run, “It’s All Up To You” later appears on Short Cut Draw Blood.

Question: if you were handing this single to a friend, which side would you tell them to play first — and why?

1 month ago | [YT] | 71

Jim Capaldi

A little vinyl moment: the Whale Meat Again Side A label tells you everything about the record’s intent — these aren’t “single-length” ideas, they’re songs built to unfold.

Run it in order and you get a proper arc: settling in with “It’s All Right”, weight in the title track, then “Yellow Sun” widening the palette before “I’ve Got So Much Lovin’” brings the pulse back.

“Yellow Sun” is a headphone favourite for the details: Chris Stainton on organ, Pete Carr on acoustic/dobro, Harry Robinson’s strings, and those backing vocals sitting just under Jim’s lead.

Question: Side A or Side B — which one is your home base on this album?

Listen now: lnk.to/JimCapaldi-whale

1 month ago | [YT] | 32

Jim Capaldi

A fantastic bit of archive TV: Miguel Ríos and Jim Capaldi together in 1982 on Àngel Casas’ Musical Express, tearing into “Feelin’ Alright?”.

It’s a reminder that this song is basically a universal language. Dave Mason wrote it for Traffic, and Joe Cocker helped turn it into a standard — but in a live duet like this you really hear why it travels: the call-and-response shape, the room it leaves for personality, and the way the chorus lifts when two voices lean into it together.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/KM6JuWzApGs

Question: what’s your go-to “Feelin’ Alright?” — Traffic, Cocker, or a live version you swear by?

1 month ago | [YT] | 10

Jim Capaldi

June ’74: Whale Meat Again — Jim in full solo stride, producing the whole thing.

Muscle Shoals backbone (Hood / Hawkins / Beckett / Johnson), but with Jim’s own shadow-and-sun writing all over it.

If you’re putting it on tonight… what’s your Track 1? 🐋

Listen now - lnk.to/JimCapaldi-whale


#JimCapaldi #WhaleMeatAgain #IslandRecords

1 month ago | [YT] | 31

Jim Capaldi

If you’ve not dipped into it lately: Jim Capaldi in 80 Tracks was curated by Jim’s family for his 80th year (2024) — and it’s still a brilliant way to travel across the solo years, the Traffic cornerstones, and the collaborations in one sitting.

A few highlights to get you started: “Old Photographs,” “Eve,” “Love Hurts,” “Something So Strong.”

Question: what’s your “hidden gem” pick from the 80?

Watch / Listen now - www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

1 month ago | [YT] | 50