Jesse Ed Davis
Encyclopedia
Jesse Edwin Davis was an American
guitarist
. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.
, Davis began his musical career in Oklahoma City
. His father, Jesse Ed Davis II, was Muscogee Creek and Seminole
while his mother's side was Kiowa
. He graduated from Northeast High School in 1962.
Davis began his musical career in the late 1950s playing in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities with John Ware (later Emmylou Harris
' drummer), John Selk (later Donovan
's bass player), Jerry Fisher (later Blood, Sweat & Tears
vocalist) Mike Boyle, Chris Frederickson, drummer Bill Maxwell (later Andrae Crouch
and Koinonia) and others.
By the mid 1960s Davis had quit the University of Oklahoma
and went touring with Conway Twitty
.
Davis eventually moved to California
, where, through his friendship with Levon Helm
, he became friendly with Leon Russell
. He became a session player before joining Taj Mahal
and playing guitar
and piano
on his first three albums. Davis played slide
, lead and rhythm, country even jazz
during his three-year stint, making an appearance with the band as a musical guest in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
. Davis later went on to work closely with ex-Beatles John Lennon
and George Harrison
, playing guitar on several of their solo albums.
The period Davis spent with Taj Mahal was the closest he came to being in a band full-time, and after Taj Mahal's 1969 album Giant Step, Davis performed session work for David Cassidy
, Albert King
and Willie Nelson
. In 1970 Jesse played on and produced Roger Tillison's one and only LP for Atco Records
(a division of Atlantic). Jesse and Roger (a fellow Oklahoman) were joined at The Record Plant by Bobby Bruce, fiddle; Larry Knechtel, organ & harmonica; Stan Szeleste, piano; Billy Rich, bass; Jim Keltner, drums and Sandy Konikoff, percussion. Don Preston & Joey Cooper took care of the vocal accompanists. "Roger Tillison's Album" was recorded live. This album was finally released on CD by Wounded Bird Records in 2008, with Davis on electric guitar, bottleneck (slide) guitar and banjo. The Woody Guthrie-penned tune, "Old Cracked Looking Glass," has become a standard for Oklahoma bands.
Davis recorded his first solo album when Atco Records signed a contract with him to record two albums with the label. The result of that engagenment was the self-titled album Jesse Davis (1971), which featured backing vocals by Gram Parsons
and appearances by Leon Russell
and Eric Clapton
, among others. Later in 1971, Davis produced and played on Gene Clark
's second solo album, White Light
. Two more solo LPs followed, Ululu (1972) and Keep Me Comin, occasionally listed as Keep On Coming (1973).
Prison Minister and former band manager, Marty Angelo
writes about his experiences with Jesse Ed Davis in his book, "Once Life Matters: A New Beginning" (ISBN-0961895446 pages 85–87). Angelo states he was introduced to Davis by drummer, Gary Mallaber
in 1972 while Davis was living in Marina Del Rey, California. Davis then introduced Angelo to John Lennon
who in turn introduced Angelo to heroin.
Davis also added guitar to Clark's No Other
album (1974). Davis played on LPs by John Lennon
, Ringo Starr
, Eric Clapton
, Leonard Cohen
, Keith Moon
, Jackson Browne
(Davis played the guitar solo on Doctor My Eyes, from Browne's debut album, which was released in 1972), Steve Miller
, Harry Nilsson
and Van Dyke Parks
, and was a featured guest in George Harrison
's The Concert for Bangladesh
on August 1, 1971 at Madison Square Garden
, New York City
.
In and out of clinics
, Davis disappeared from the music industry for a time, spending much of the 1980s dealing with alcohol
and drug addiction. Davis played in The Graffiti Band, which coupled his music with the poetry of American Indian activist John Trudell
.
In the Spring of 1987, The Graffiti Band performed with Taj Mahal at the Palomino Club
in Hollywood. At this show, George Harrison
, Bob Dylan
and John Fogerty
rose from the audience to join Davis and Taj Mahal in an unrehearsed set which included Fogerty's "Proud Mary" and Dylan's "Watching the River Flow
" and "Blue Suede Shoes", "Peggy Sue", "Honey Don't", "Matchbox", and "Gone, Gone, Gone".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.
Biography
Born in Norman, OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, Davis began his musical career in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. His father, Jesse Ed Davis II, was Muscogee Creek and Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
while his mother's side was Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
. He graduated from Northeast High School in 1962.
Davis began his musical career in the late 1950s playing in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities with John Ware (later Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
' drummer), John Selk (later Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
's bass player), Jerry Fisher (later Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
vocalist) Mike Boyle, Chris Frederickson, drummer Bill Maxwell (later Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
and Koinonia) and others.
By the mid 1960s Davis had quit the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and went touring with Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
.
Davis eventually moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where, through his friendship with Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, he became friendly with Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
. He became a session player before joining Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
and playing guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on his first three albums. Davis played slide
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, lead and rhythm, country even jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
during his three-year stint, making an appearance with the band as a musical guest in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a film released in 1996 of an 11 December 1968 event put together by The Rolling Stones. The event comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull...
. Davis later went on to work closely with ex-Beatles John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, playing guitar on several of their solo albums.
The period Davis spent with Taj Mahal was the closest he came to being in a band full-time, and after Taj Mahal's 1969 album Giant Step, Davis performed session work for David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
, Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
. In 1970 Jesse played on and produced Roger Tillison's one and only LP for Atco Records
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
(a division of Atlantic). Jesse and Roger (a fellow Oklahoman) were joined at The Record Plant by Bobby Bruce, fiddle; Larry Knechtel, organ & harmonica; Stan Szeleste, piano; Billy Rich, bass; Jim Keltner, drums and Sandy Konikoff, percussion. Don Preston & Joey Cooper took care of the vocal accompanists. "Roger Tillison's Album" was recorded live. This album was finally released on CD by Wounded Bird Records in 2008, with Davis on electric guitar, bottleneck (slide) guitar and banjo. The Woody Guthrie-penned tune, "Old Cracked Looking Glass," has become a standard for Oklahoma bands.
Davis recorded his first solo album when Atco Records signed a contract with him to record two albums with the label. The result of that engagenment was the self-titled album Jesse Davis (1971), which featured backing vocals by Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
and appearances by Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
and Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, among others. Later in 1971, Davis produced and played on Gene Clark
Gene Clark
Gene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
's second solo album, White Light
White Light (Gene Clark album)
White Light, aka Gene Clark, is the second solo album by Gene Clark, former member of The Byrds. It received universal critical acclaim upon its release, but only achieved commercial success in the Netherlands, where rock critics also voted it album of the year...
. Two more solo LPs followed, Ululu (1972) and Keep Me Comin, occasionally listed as Keep On Coming (1973).
Prison Minister and former band manager, Marty Angelo
Marty Angelo
Marty Angelo worked in the entertainment business from 1965 to 1980 as a television producer , record promoter, restaurant/nightclub owner and personal manager for rock 'n' roll bands ....
writes about his experiences with Jesse Ed Davis in his book, "Once Life Matters: A New Beginning" (ISBN-0961895446 pages 85–87). Angelo states he was introduced to Davis by drummer, Gary Mallaber
Gary Mallaber
Gary Mallaber is a Los Angeles session drummer, percussionist and singer. He got his start playing drums in a band from Buffalo, New York, known as Raven....
in 1972 while Davis was living in Marina Del Rey, California. Davis then introduced Angelo to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
who in turn introduced Angelo to heroin.
Davis also added guitar to Clark's No Other
No Other
No Other is the fourth solo studio album by Gene Clark. On release in late 1974 it was a critical and commercial failure; the studio time and cost being seen as excessive and indulgent. The record label, Asylum Records, did not promote the album, and by 1976 had deleted it from their catalog...
album (1974). Davis played on LPs by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
(Davis played the guitar solo on Doctor My Eyes, from Browne's debut album, which was released in 1972), Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
, Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
and Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
, and was a featured guest in George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh was the name for two benefit concerts organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at noon and at 7 PM on August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
on August 1, 1971 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In and out of clinics
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, Davis disappeared from the music industry for a time, spending much of the 1980s dealing with alcohol
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug addiction. Davis played in The Graffiti Band, which coupled his music with the poetry of American Indian activist John Trudell
John Trudell
John Trudell is a Native American-Mexican author, poet, actor, musician, and former political activist. He was the spokesperson for the United Indians of All Tribes' takeover of Alcatraz beginning in 1969, broadcasting as Radio Free Alcatraz...
.
In the Spring of 1987, The Graffiti Band performed with Taj Mahal at the Palomino Club
Palomino Club (North Hollywood)
The Palomino Club was a music venue in North Hollywood, called "Country Music's most important West Coast club" by the Los Angeles Times. It featured such performers as Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Delaney Bramlett, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Johnny Carver, Hoyt Axton,...
in Hollywood. At this show, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
rose from the audience to join Davis and Taj Mahal in an unrehearsed set which included Fogerty's "Proud Mary" and Dylan's "Watching the River Flow
Watching the River Flow
"Watching the River Flow" is a blues song by Bob Dylan that was first released as an independent single. It was recorded during the March 16–18 sessions at the Blue Rock Studios in New York City, and was produced by Leon Russell. The recording was first issued as a single on June 3, 1971, backed...
" and "Blue Suede Shoes", "Peggy Sue", "Honey Don't", "Matchbox", and "Gone, Gone, Gone".
Death
On June 22, 1988 Jesse Ed Davis collapsed and was pronounced dead in a laundry room in Venice, California. Davis had various drugs in his system and his death is commonly attributed to as a heroin overdose. He was 43 years old.As leader
- Jesse Davis (Atco, 1971)
- Ululu (Atco, 1972)
- Keep Me Comin or Keep On Coming (CBSColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, 1973)
As sideman
- White LightWhite Light (Gene Clark album)White Light, aka Gene Clark, is the second solo album by Gene Clark, former member of The Byrds. It received universal critical acclaim upon its release, but only achieved commercial success in the Netherlands, where rock critics also voted it album of the year...
- Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
(1971) - No OtherNo OtherNo Other is the fourth solo studio album by Gene Clark. On release in late 1974 it was a critical and commercial failure; the studio time and cost being seen as excessive and indulgent. The record label, Asylum Records, did not promote the album, and by 1976 had deleted it from their catalog...
album (AsylumAsylum RecordsAsylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
- Gene Clark 1974)