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Unheralded Sideman

There's a story from the first US tour of the original Jeff Beck Group that after a performance in Central Park's Wollman Skating Ring a PR type from the record label ran up to the group's vocalist, Rod Stewart, and said, "Great show Jeff, and your band has a really good guitarist too!" So much for the intelligence of PR reps, but there are occasions where I think the sidemen musicians are at least as interesting, if not more interesting, than the star performers. Some of my favorite sidemen are:

James Jamerson - bass, Motown house band
Jack Ashford - tambourine, Motown house band
Charlie Watts - drums, Rolling Stones
Jack Cassady - bass, Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna
Bruce Thomas - bass, EC & the Attraction

Anybody eles have their favorite sidemen?
128x128onhwy61
jayboard
301 posts
 
Some of Steely Dan's guitar collaborators, like Denny Diaz, Larry Carlton (not so unheralded), Dean Parks. I love Jesse Edwin Davis (guitar) -- wish I heard him a lot more. I think Procol Harum's B J Wilson was one of the best rock drummers ever.
bbyer
18 posts
 
two piano players:

Chuck leavell played piano for eric clapton, the rolling stones, the allman brothers (who do you think played the piano solo in jessica?), black crowes, etc...

Johnnie Johnson started a small band that was joined by a guitar player named Chuck Berry. Chuck took all the credit but no Johnnie is suing for songwriting credit and money I am sure. He has done a couple of great solo albums but his piano playing with chuck berry is awesome.
swingman
30 posts
 
Waddy Wachtel may be the quintessential sideman. He is an LA guitarist who played with Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Melissa Etheridge and too many others to count. Think of the guitar on Stevie's "Edge of Seventeen" -- that's him.

Mike Campbell is another great sideman -- Tom Petty's guitarist for the last twenty years or so. And Kenny Aronoff, John Mellencamp's drummer.

I like Zaikesman's distinction between sidemen and band members, but it's harder to apply when you start thinking about jazz. Would that rule out Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, who played with Bill Evans? Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock, who make up Keith Jarrett's trio? Or how about Johnny Hodges and Cat Anderson with Duke Ellington's band?
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,218 posts
 
I only know Jesse Edwin Davis from his Taj Mahal days. He had that twangy country blues sound going. He was so talented.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Swingman, you are correct: The "sideman" distinction is all but meaningless when talking about jazz, where shifting collaborations and pick-up groups are not only the norm, but an essential component of the music's development. In jazz, regular groups not formed as the backing unit for a leader, like the Modern Jazz Quartet, are the exception, not the rule.
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