Search - Jesse ed Davis :: Keep Me Comin'

Native Musical Genius

cheesefilms | Oklahoma | 04/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jesse Ed Davis (September 21, 1944 to June 22, 1988) is one of the most underrated and unaccredited musicians of his time. His repertoire and catalog as a session man is "a virtual Who's Who in Rock and Roll" contemporary music.*



His versatility itself ranges from his Oklahoma roots of country music on the song, "Rock & Roll Gypsy" from his first album Jesse Ed Davis (1971), the blues riffs on "Leaving Trunk" with Taj Mahal (1967) as well as collaborations with John Lee Hooker (1967 & 70) and Eric Clapton (1976), whom plays the guitar solo on Davis' "Washita Love Child" from his first solo release.



As for rock, he does the guitar solo on, "Doctor My Eyes" from Jackson Browne's first solo album (1972) and a taste of classic rock riff of Bill Haley's, "Rock Around The Clock" from Harry Nilssons' "PussyCats" album (1974), funky reggae riffs and lead on a song he co-wrote with Rod Stewart from Atlantic Crossing (1975), "Alright for an Hour", jazz instrumentals on "6:00 Bugalu", from this disc.



He performed on three Beatles solo albums such as George Harrisons' Extra Texture (1975) album and Concert for Bangladesh (1971), two of Ringos' solo albums, "Goodnight Vienna" (1974) and Ringo's Rotogravure" (1976) and was frequently hired by John Lennon, most notably on his "Walls & Bridges" (1974) and "Rock and Roll" (1975) releases, just to name a few. His collaboration with Indigenous activist John Trudell on "AKA Graffiti Man" (1986) is a testament to his skill and maturity as a guitarist in his later career with the latter album Bob Dylan penned, "the best album of the year".



There are currently a couple of film projects on Davis, but nothing solid as a full featured film. There is a short memorial tribute to him in the film "Trudell" as well as scattered clips of him performing with Taj Mahalon YouTube and most notably, The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus with Taj Mahal and The Concert for Bangladesh as a replacement for a sick Eric Clapton, but Clapton shows up anyway.



The reason this CD has value for me is the 14 minute interview with Mitchell Reed in LA after releasing this album in 1973 where he talks about everything from racism growing up in Oklahoma and writing "Ching Ching China Boy"; touring with Conway Twitty at 16; his first session with Gary Lewis & The Playboys; fellow Oklahomans Leon Russell and Roger Tillison; Levon Helm; The Beatles; Eric Clapton; Taj Mahal; The Concert for Bangladesh and THIS new album.



Some of the artists Jesse Edwin Davis performed for on albums, including those listed above, were Booker T & Priscilla; Albert King; Buffy Saint Marie; Gene Clark (The Birds); Arlo Guthrie; Steve Miller; Bryan Ferry; The Pointer Sisters; David Cassidy; Jackie DeShannon; Ben Sidran; Rod Taylor; Keith Moon; The Fifth Dimension; Mac Davis; Neil Diamond; Donovan; Lightnin Hopkins; Long John Baldry and Leonard Cohen.



Google Jesse Ed Davis and see his discography and you'll agree that this Kiowa native from Oklahoma, was a session mans' session man spanning the 1950's until he passed in the late 1980's.



*from Cal McLish's article in Native American Times dated May 15th, 2002, page 7 entitled, "OKLAHOMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME HONORS JESSE ED DAVIS"

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