Prior to his death in 1988, the noted Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played on records by numerous big names, including Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. If you’ve heard the guitar solo in Jackson Browne’s “Doctor, My Eyes,” well, that’s him. But not so well known are Davis’ own records, which is weird, as his 1971 debut for Atco, ¡Jesse Davis!, features guests Russell, Gram Parsons, and Eric Clapton, amongst others. It’s a solid affair that’ll be a welcome addition to any shelf of sharp and rootsy early ’70s sounds, as it’s just been given its first time vinyl reissue in the USA, on forest green wax, by the Real Gone organization.
Listening with fresh ears in 2022, ¡Jesse Davis! fits into the early 1970s Atco Records scheme pretty damn snuggly, a tight fit that derives in large part from the judiciously applied guests; in addition to those named above, Davis’ debut pulled in contributions from singer Merry Clayton (The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”), bassist Billy Rich (Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal), drummer Alan White (Plastic Ono Band, Yes), and keyboardists Ben Sidran (Steve Miller Band, dozens of sessions, his own stuff), and John Simon (The Band, Big Brother & The Holding Company).
Rather than merely attempting to increase sales by flaunting the names Clapton and Russell, Atco’s intent seemed to be aligned with making the best record possible (along with some clear mutual backscratching). Other examples from the label include a handful from Delaney & Bonnie (albums that offer some insane credits lists) and Dr. John’s The Sun, Moon & Herbs, which is notable, as a couple moments on ¡Jesse Davis! are reminiscent of the Night Tripper, the set’s opener “Reno Street Incident” in particular.
The song’s a bit like Dr. John fronting The Band in a Meters frame of mind, and “Tulsa County” (an oft-covered song by Pamela Polland) retains a bit of that aura, while upping the rock and reducing the funk. Speaking of rocking, “Washita Love Child” is where Clapton and the backing singers come in, and setting aside my antipathy for ol’ Slow Hand today, his solo here is a burner even as it stands on the precipice of showboating.
Wrapping up side one is “Every Night Is a Saturday Night,” a tough, vaguely Sly Stone-ish groover with a horn section that transcends standard vamping; there’s even some very enjoyable clarinet wiggling courtesy of James Gordon. Side two’s opener “You Belladonna You” swings back into that Dr. John zone, a similarity aided by the backing singers, and with a little bit of Lowell George in the mix. And it makes total sense that the album’s blend of rock heft and soul depth was issued by Atco, a division of Atlantic.
“Rock N’ Roll Gypsies,” a song by Roger Tillison (whose 1970 debut for Atco Davis played on) comes next, and it’s heartfelt sing-along ache really showcases Davis’ singing and guitar prowess. It’s followed by “Golden Sun Goddess,” a bit of a stylistic curveball as it blends an almost sunshiny late ‘60s folk pop (complete with faux sitar) with strains of just budding ‘70s soft pop (seasoned with electric keyboards) sitting on the folky end of the spectrum; think Seals & Crofts with backing singers on loan from Steely Dan.
For the album’s close, Davis hits upon the combo of rock and soul (not rockin’ soul) one more time with a version of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.” It once again reinforces Davis as a triple-threat talent of vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, as five of the eight tracks are his, and does it all in a pleasantly non-pushy fashion. ¡Jesse Davis! is a tidy dose of rootsy goodness that keeps its guest talent from running roughshod. The album should’ve made Jesse Ed Davis a much bigger name on the early ’70s scene.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
