Keep Me Comin'

Jesse Ed Davis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B0012CJM7M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,272 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Originally issued in 1973 by Epic, Keep Me Comin' was Oklahoma guitar firebrand Jesse Ed Davis' (who began his career at 16 with Conway Twitty in 1964) third and last album for the label. It featured a killer band featuring drummer Jim Keltner, keyboardist Jim Gordon, and bassist Bob Glaub with a slew of side players featured in various places on horns (Clifford Scott, George Bohannon, Jerry Jumonville, and Howard Johnson among them), and backing vocals and notable cameos by Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell, and many others. The music walks a line between electrified blues ("Big Dipper"), Southern fried rocked up R&B ("She's a Pain" and "Where Am I Now"), greasy funk (Andre Williams' "Bacon Fat") freaky soul-jazz ("Natural Anthem" and "6:00 Bugalu"), country-rock ("Ching, Ching China Boy" -- a song about the racial epithets tossed his way when he was young -- and "Keep Me Comin'"). His solo, with full-on phase shifter is economical, tight, and in the cut. There are certain production elements that don't date so well, but these are such minor considerations that they don't even matter. If anything, Keep Me Comin' is a record that really deserves to be reconsidered for its sheer musical merit. If anything, Davis' forgotten legacy, includes sessions with Russell, Bob Dylan, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, and John Trudell, to name a handful; he was George Harrison's guitarist at the Concert for Bangladesh as an ill Eric Clapton's replacement. Davis' work deserves to be reconsidered and this set is part of the evidence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Native Musical Genius, April 27, 2010

By 

cheesefilms (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keep Me Comin' (Audio CD)

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"

5.0 out of 5 stars Guitar Great to be remembered, December 16, 2009

By 

Dave Essel (on the web) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Keep Me Comin' (Audio CD)

I was introduced to Jesse Ed Davis by a guitarist friend of mine who actually gifted me a couple of albums on vinyl. Serious generosity.

Jesse Ed Davis is one of the guitar greats and plays the blues. I therefore disagree with the other reviewer here that the music is dated since the blues don't date!

This album, although not J.E.D.'s best, is still five star, and does contain some great songs and some great lines.

Great song: "Keep Me Comin'"

Great line - it's actually in the preview to "Who Pulled the Plug?" - just listen.

Note that JED was also lead guitarist on early Taj Mahal albums, a recommendation in itself.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Time Capsule of the early 70's, October 21, 2009

By 

Multi-Media Man - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Keep Me Comin' (Audio CD)

I picked this up as a fan of George Harrison and the Concert for Bangla Desh concert. Jesse is a great guitarist, but the songs on this disc are VERY dated. I recommend you preview the tracks before making the purchase. I am not saying it's not a decent disc (it is) but as a potential purchaser you need to make sure this is what you want to hear.