Buffalo Traffic Jam

About Buffalo Traffic Jam

Buffalo Traffic Jam emerged from Buffalo, New York in the early 1970s, when the city's music scene was more interesting than most people remember. They formed during that weird transitional period when bar bands could still make a living playing five nights a week, and the line between rock, funk, and soul hadn't hardened into separate radio formats yet.

The original lineup coalesced around guitarist Rick James—yes, that Rick James, before he became Rick James—along with bassist Booker Newberry III, drummer Bruce Nazarian, and saxophonist Gregory McDaniels. They were part of Buffalo's surprisingly fertile musical ecosystem, the same one that produced the Rascals and later gave the world Ani DiFranco. James had already been in a few bands, including the Mynah Birds with Neil Young up in Toronto, so he brought some road experience and industry skepticism to the group.

Buffalo Traffic Jam played a sweaty blend of rock, funk, and R&B that made sense in dive bars but confused record executives who wanted everything in neat categories. They were tight enough to impress musicians and loose enough to keep dancers interested. The band gigged relentlessly throughout western New York and into Canada, building a regional following that never quite translated beyond a two-hour drive from home.

They never released a proper studio album, which is probably why most people outside Buffalo have never heard of them. There are some scattered recordings—a few demos that circulate among collectors, some live tapes of varying quality. The most complete documentation of their sound exists on a handful of tracks that James later recycled or reimagined in his solo career. If you listen to his early Motown work, you can hear the bones of what Buffalo Traffic Jam was doing in those club sets.

The band dissolved around 1976, which was about the time James decided he was done being a sideman in his own group. He moved to California, signed with Motown, and eventually became the guy who wrote "Super Freak." Nazarian followed him west and became a successful session musician and producer. Newberry stayed in the music industry in various capacities. The others drifted into different lives.

These days, Buffalo Traffic Jam exists mostly as a footnote in Rick James biographies and a name that older Buffalo music heads drop when they want to remind you the city had a real scene once. There's occasionally talk of archival releases—someone always knows someone who has a tape from the old days—but nothing ever materializes. They're one of those bands that mattered intensely to the people who saw them and barely existed for everyone else. Local legend, nothing more, nothing less.

Shows are low-key but focused. Crowds lean against walls more than dance. People actually listen instead of talking. They play the songs you wanted to hear, keep things moving, and get out of your way by eleven.

Known for Honk Twice, Gridlock Serenade, Rush Hour Blues, Tailgate, Brake Lights

See Buffalo Traffic Jam Live