This Friday’s Playlist highlights the work of Jesse “Ed” Davis, a Kiowa-Cherokee guitarist from Norman, Oklahoma, whose extraordinary talent made him one of the most in-demand session musicians of the late 1960s and 1970s. Davis brought a fluid, expressive style to recordings by Taj Mahal, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, and Leon Russell, among many others. His playing—always melodic, soulful, and instinctively right—added depth and character to any project he touched. Whether backing up blues legends or appearing on landmark rock albums like The Concert for Bangladesh, Davis left a distinctive musical fingerprint across a wide range of genres.
While this playlist focuses on his session and collaborative work, Davis also released three solo albums that deserve much wider recognition: Jesse Davis (1971), Ululu (1972), and Keep Me Comin’ (1973). These records showcase not just his guitar mastery, but his understated vocals and songwriting—full of feel, groove, and musical curiosity. His solo work featured contributions from fellow greats and reflects the same warmth and skill that made him a go-to guitarist for some of the era’s biggest names.
Davis stands as a major figure in the history of Native contributions to American popular music. Alongside other groundbreaking Indigenous artists like Link Wray (Shawnee), whose raw guitar sound helped shape early rock, and Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree), a vital voice in folk and protest music, Davis expanded the presence and influence of American Indian musicians in mainstream culture. His legacy continues to inspire for its range, soul, and quiet brilliance.
Despite his immense talent and the respect he earned among peers, Jesse Ed Davis’s later years were marked by struggles with addiction and declining health—a familiar and unfortunate arc in the lives of many gifted musicians of his era. After drifting away from the spotlight in the 1980s, he passed away in 1988 at the age of 43. His death, from a suspected drug overdose in a Los Angeles laundry room, was a tragic end to a career that had touched so many corners of American music. Like too many others, his brilliance was dimmed too soon, but the recordings remain—testament to a player whose feel, taste, and tone were nothing short of remarkable.
