Speak/Sing Native™ Artist Archive
Jesse Ed Davis (1944-1988)
Kiowa Tribe/Comanche
“Jesse Ed Davis was perhaps the most versatile session guitarist of the late '60s and early '70s. Whether it was blues, country, or rock, Davis' tasteful guitar playing was featured on albums by such giants as Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, John Lennon, and John Lee Hooker, among many others. It is Davis’s weeping slide heard on Clapton's Hello Old Friend (from No Reason to Cry), and on both Rock n' Roll and Walls & Bridges, it is Davis who supplied the bulk of the guitar work for ex-Beatle Lennon.”
"It was Jesse’s solo on Jackson Browne’s Doctor My Eyes, recorded on one take, that made that song one of Jackson’s greatest hits.
“Born in Oklahoma, Davis first earned a degree in literature from the University of Oklahoma before beginning his musical career touring with Conway Twitty in the early '60s. Eventually the guitarist moved to California, joining bluesman Taj Mahal and playing guitar and piano on his first three albums. It was with Mahal that Davis was able to showcase his skill and range, playing slide, lead, and rhythm, country, and even jazz guitar during his three-year stint.
“The period backing Mahal was the closest Davis came to being in a band full-time, and after Mahal's 1969 album Giant Step, Davis began doing session work for such diverse acts as David Cassidy, Albert King, and Willie Nelson. In addition, he also released three solo albums featuring industry friends such as Leon Russell and Eric Clapton.
“In and out of clinics, Davis disappeared from the music industry for a time, spending much of the '80s dealing with alcohol and drug addiction. Just before his death of a suspected drug overdose in 1988, Davis resurfaced playing in the Graffiti Band, which coupled his music with the poetry of American Indian activist John Trudell. The kind of expert, tasteful playing that Davis always brought to an album is sorely missed among the acts he worked with.” (Source: Allmusic)
Professional Information
Discography as a leader (albums):
Jesse Ed Davis! 1971
Washita Love Child, 1971
Ululu, 1972
Keep Me Comin’, 1973
Heart Jump Bouquet, with John Trudell, 1987
Red Dirt Boogie: The Atco Recordings 1970-1972, compilation released 2017
Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day: The Unissued Atco Recordings 1970-1971, compilation released 2024
Discography as a sideman (albums):
1967
- Let 'em Roll Johnny / Operator Operator - Junior Markham & The Tulsa Review
- Black Cherry / Gonna Send You Back to Georgia - Junior Markham & The Tulsa Review
1968
- Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal
- The Natch'l Blues -Taj Mahal
- The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Taj Mahal, recorded in 1968, released in 1996)
- Look Inside the Asylum Choir- The Asylum Choir
- Daughters of Albion- Daughters of Albion
1969
- Giant Step - Taj Mahal
1971
- Happy Just to Be Like I Am -Taj Mahal, guitar on Oh Susanna and Chevrolet
- Watching the River Flow/ When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan
- Roger Tillison's Album- Roger Tillison
- Minnows- Marc Benno
- Feel Your Groove- Ben Sidran
- There's Gotta Be a Change- Albert Collins
- Booker T. & Priscilla- Booker T. & Priscilla
- Warm Waters- Charles Lloyd
- She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Leon Russell and the Shelter People- Leon Russell
- Asylum Choir II- The Asylum Choir
- Endless Boogie- John Lee Hooker
- Lovejoy- Albert King
- White Light- Gene Clark
- The Concert for Bangladesh- George Harrison & Friends
- 1000 Dollar Wedding and Hot Burrito #1 - Gram Parsons (EP side B only, recorded in 1971, released in 1992)
1972
- Ambush- Marc Benno
- Out the Window- Jim Pulte
- Salty- Alex Richman
- A. Midnight- B.B. King
- Jackson Browne- Jackson Browne
- Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden- Steve Miller Band
- It's a Sin to Be Rich- Lightnin' Hopkins (recorded in 1972, released in 1992)
1973
- Rod Taylor- Rod Taylor
- These Foolish Things- Bryan Ferry
- Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys- Arlo Guthrie
1974
- Home at Last- Wayne Berry
- Arlo Guthrie- Arlo Guthrie
- A. Turnaround- Bert Jansch
- No Other- Gene Clark
- Walls and Bridges- John Lennon
- A Toot and a Snore in '74- John Lennon, Paul McCartney (bootleg)
- Goodnight Vienna- Ringo Starr
- Pussy Cats- Harry Nilsson
- That's a Plenty- Pointer Sisters
- ST11261- Brewer & Shipley
1975
- Burnin' Thing- Mac Davis
- The Eyes of an Only Child- Tom Jans
- See How the Years Have Gone By- Valdy
- Stars- Cher
- Two Sides of the Moon- Keith Moon
- Extra Texture (Read All About It)- George Harrison
- Rock 'n' Roll- John Lennon
- Duit on Mon Dei- Harry Nilsson
- Born to Be with You- Dion
- New Arrangement- Jackie DeShannon
- Earthbound- The 5th Dimension
- Midnight on the Water- David Bromberg Band
- Atlantic Crossing- Rod Stewart
1976
- A Night on the Town- Rod Stewart
- Sandman- Harry Nilsson
- Diggin' It- Dunn & Rubini
- Cupid's Arrow- David Blue
- Welcome to Club Casablanca- Long John Baldry
- Time Is on My Side- Tracy Nelson
- Motion- Geoff Muldaur
- Attitudes- Attitudes
- Home Is Where the Heart Is- David Cassidy
- Beautiful Noise- Neil Diamond
- Slow Down World- Donovan
- No Reason to Cry- Eric Clapton
- Ringo's Rotogravure- Ringo Starr
- Clang of the Yankee Reaper- Van Dyke Parks
1977
- Death of a Ladies' Man- Leonard Cohen
1978
- Blue Collar (soundtrack)- with Captain Beefheart and Jack Nitzsche
- A Little Kiss in the Night- Ben Sidran
1980
- Precious Love - Emmylou Harris
- The Legend of Jesse James- various artists
1981
- Kent State (soundtrack)- various artists
1983
- Hobo Eagle Thief- Guthrie Thomas
1986
- AKA Graffiti Man - John Trudell (Bob Dylan said that this was the best album release of the year)
1987
- Heart Jump Bouquet - John Trudell
- Taj- Taj Mahal
- Slide of Hand- Scott Colby
John Trudell (The Graffiti Band and Bad Dog), Taj Mahal, David Cassidy, Albert King, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, the Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Quiltman Sahme, Mark Shark, Leon Russell, John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Neil Diamond, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Steve Miller Band, Pointer Sisters, Conway Twitty, many others.
Discography as a leader (albums):
Jesse Ed Davis! 1971
Washita Love Child, 1971
Ululu, 1972
Keep Me Comin’, 1973
Heart Jump Bouquet, with John Trudell, 1987
Red Dirt Boogie: The Atco Recordings 1970-1972, compilation released 2017
Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day: The Unissued Atco Recordings 1970-1971, compilation released 2024
Discography as a sideman (albums):
1967
- Let 'em Roll Johnny / Operator Operator - Junior Markham & The Tulsa Review
- Black Cherry / Gonna Send You Back to Georgia - Junior Markham & The Tulsa Review
1968
- Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal
- The Natch'l Blues -Taj Mahal
- The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Taj Mahal, recorded in 1968, released in 1996)
- Look Inside the Asylum Choir- The Asylum Choir
- Daughters of Albion- Daughters of Albion
1969
- Giant Step - Taj Mahal
1971
- Happy Just to Be Like I Am -Taj Mahal, guitar on Oh Susanna and Chevrolet
- Watching the River Flow/ When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan
- Roger Tillison's Album- Roger Tillison
- Minnows- Marc Benno
- Feel Your Groove- Ben Sidran
- There's Gotta Be a Change- Albert Collins
- Booker T. & Priscilla- Booker T. & Priscilla
- Warm Waters- Charles Lloyd
- She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Leon Russell and the Shelter People- Leon Russell
- Asylum Choir II- The Asylum Choir
- Endless Boogie- John Lee Hooker
- Lovejoy- Albert King
- White Light- Gene Clark
- The Concert for Bangladesh- George Harrison & Friends
- 1000 Dollar Wedding and Hot Burrito #1 - Gram Parsons (EP side B only, recorded in 1971, released in 1992)
1972
- Ambush- Marc Benno
- Out the Window- Jim Pulte
- Salty- Alex Richman
- A. Midnight- B.B. King
- Jackson Browne- Jackson Browne
- Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden- Steve Miller Band
- It's a Sin to Be Rich- Lightnin' Hopkins (recorded in 1972, released in 1992)
1973
- Rod Taylor- Rod Taylor
- These Foolish Things- Bryan Ferry
- Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys- Arlo Guthrie
1974
- Home at Last- Wayne Berry
- Arlo Guthrie- Arlo Guthrie
- A. Turnaround- Bert Jansch
- No Other- Gene Clark
- Walls and Bridges- John Lennon
- A Toot and a Snore in '74- John Lennon, Paul McCartney (bootleg)
- Goodnight Vienna- Ringo Starr
- Pussy Cats- Harry Nilsson
- That's a Plenty- Pointer Sisters
- ST11261- Brewer & Shipley
1975
- Burnin' Thing- Mac Davis
- The Eyes of an Only Child- Tom Jans
- See How the Years Have Gone By- Valdy
- Stars- Cher
- Two Sides of the Moon- Keith Moon
- Extra Texture (Read All About It)- George Harrison
- Rock 'n' Roll- John Lennon
- Duit on Mon Dei- Harry Nilsson
- Born to Be with You- Dion
- New Arrangement- Jackie DeShannon
- Earthbound- The 5th Dimension
- Midnight on the Water- David Bromberg Band
- Atlantic Crossing- Rod Stewart
1976
- A Night on the Town- Rod Stewart
- Sandman- Harry Nilsson
- Diggin' It- Dunn & Rubini
- Cupid's Arrow- David Blue
- Welcome to Club Casablanca- Long John Baldry
- Time Is on My Side- Tracy Nelson
- Motion- Geoff Muldaur
- Attitudes- Attitudes
- Home Is Where the Heart Is- David Cassidy
- Beautiful Noise- Neil Diamond
- Slow Down World- Donovan
- No Reason to Cry- Eric Clapton
- Ringo's Rotogravure- Ringo Starr
- Clang of the Yankee Reaper- Van Dyke Parks
1977
- Death of a Ladies' Man- Leonard Cohen
1978
- Blue Collar (soundtrack)- with Captain Beefheart and Jack Nitzsche
- A Little Kiss in the Night- Ben Sidran
1980
- Precious Love - Emmylou Harris
- The Legend of Jesse James- various artists
1981
- Kent State (soundtrack)- various artists
1983
- Hobo Eagle Thief- Guthrie Thomas
1986
- AKA Graffiti Man - John Trudell (Bob Dylan said that this was the best album release of the year)
1987
- Heart Jump Bouquet - John Trudell
- Taj- Taj Mahal
- Slide of Hand- Scott Colby
1950s-1988
Rock, blues, country
Musician, songwriter, composer
Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Video
-
Jesse “Ed” Davis Interview -
Venue:
Format: Interview
Duration: 14:56
-
Elliot Easton talks about Jesse Ed Davis -
Venue: Rumble documentary clip
Format: Interview
Duration: 10:08
- Jackson Brown, Jesse Ed Davis
Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Brown, Jesse Ed Davis
Venue:
Format: Audio
Duration: 3:17
- Taj Mahal, Jesse Ed Davis-
Everybody Got To Change Sometime - Taj Mahal, Jesse Ed Davis-
Venue:
Format: Live
Duration: 2:54
- Jesse Ed Davis, Micki James
Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame Tribute to the Great Jesse Ed Davis - Jesse Ed Davis, Micki James
Venue: Native American Music Awards
Format: Official
Duration: 5:24
Tribal Information
Kiowa Tribe
also known as "Kiowa"
Kiowa Tribe
"The Kiowa Tribe is devoted to protect its sovereignty, preserve and advocate its rich Kiowa culture and language; as well as enhance the quality of life for the future generation of Kiowa Tribal Members."
Kiowa Tribe website History of the Kiowa Tribe