The Bob Dylan Center presents “Red Dirt Boogie: A Concert Tribute to Jesse Ed Davis,” featuring an exciting roster of former Davis collaborators including (in alphabetical order): Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and iconic singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, whose classic 1972 top-ten single “Doctor My Eyes” features Davis on lead guitar; three-term U.S. Poet Laureate and Bob Dylan Center Artist-in-Residence Joy Harjo, who recorded with Davis in the early 1980s; members of The Grafitti Band (Ricky Eckstein, Gary Ray, Quiltman Sahme, Mark Shark, Billy Watts), who backed Davis and Native artist John Trudell on their acclaimed release “aka Grafitti Man” (named by Bob Dylan as one of his favorite albums); and Blues Hall of Fame member and four-time Grammy Award winner Taj Mahal, with whom Davis recorded and toured for many years. The performers will be joined by two additional musicians who played with Davis at different points throughout his career—Gary Gilmore and Bob Glaub—along with Garrett Ray (son of The Grafitti Band’s Gary Ray).
Buy Jesse Davis CDThis one-night-only celebration of Davis’s expansive musicality and enduring impact will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6 at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The concert is the major public program associated with the Dylan Center’s “Jesse Ed Davis: Natural Anthem” exhibition, on view through April 27, 2025 and co-curated by featured artist Harjo and Davis scholar Douglas Miller, whose biography “Washita Love Child: The Rise of Indigenous Rock Star Jesse Ed Davis” was published by Liveright on Nov. 12. Miller also serves as co-producer of a forthcoming archival album set of unissued Davis music titled “Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day.”
Reuniting for this special event following a long hiatus, members of The Grafitti Band will serve as the evening’s house band, backing sets by Browne, Harjo and Mahal as they perform songs originally written or recorded by Davis, or featuring him on guitar.
Drummers and singers from the Kiowa Nation will set a respectful and powerful doorway for the show by performing a traditional honor song as a gesture to Davis’s cultural heritage.
In addition, Tulsa-based filmmaker, creator of the acclaimed FX series “Reservation Dogs” and recently named MacArthur Fellow Sterlin Harjo will present a brief reading on what Davis’s music and legacy mean to him as a fellow Native American artist.
Ticket prices range from $30 to $150, with a variety of ticket packages and benefits available at various price levels. Visit bobdylancenter.com for detailed information and links to ticket purchase.
“Jesse played with tremendous grace, power and fluidity, and he elevated everyone who had the good fortune to make music with him,” says Jackson Browne.
“I knew Jesse as a fellow musician and always appreciated his artistry, his innovation and vision in a time of cultural shift for Native people and this country,” says Harjo, the three-time U.S. Poet Laureate who serves as the Bob Dylan Center’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence.
“Be my expressed pleasure to be in attendance!!” says Taj Mahal. “And to pay a long overdue tribute to my Brother Jesse ‘Ed’ Davis.”
Speaking collectively, the reunited members of The Grafitti Band comment, “We are honored to come together again and shine a light on one of the most gifted, soulful and undeniably talented artists of the twentieth century, brother Jesse Ed Davis. Jackson Browne and Taj Mahal fully supported and shared in The Grafitti Band journey and we are grateful for their enduring love as we celebrate the incredible artistry Jesse Ed Davis gifted the world.”
“We intend for this evening to do full justice to Jesse’s remarkable artistry and lasting impact,” says Steven Jenkins, director of the Bob Dylan Center. “While Jesse left us far too early nearly 40 years ago, his music and spirit live on, and I can’t wait to hear what Jackson, Joy, Taj and The Grafitti Band have in store for both longtime fans and newcomers to Jesse’s body of work.”
“Red Dirt Boogie: A Concert Tribute to Jesse Ed Davis” is generously supported by presenting sponsor Joe Donnelly as well as by the Hardesty Family Foundation.
For more information about the event, to become a member and to keep up to date on ticket releases visit bobdylancenter.com and subscribe to the newsletter.
