sideman

[ sahyd-man, -muhn ]

/ ˈsaɪdˌmæn, -mən /

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noun, plural side·men

[sahyd-men, -muhn]. /ˈsaɪdˌmɛn, -mən/.

an instrumentalist in a band or orchestra.

an instrumentalist supporting a soloist or a principal performer.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of sideman

First recorded in 1560–70; side¹ + man

Words nearby sideman

sidelines, sideling, sideload, sidelock, sidelong, sideman, side meat, side money, side of the tracks, side-on, sidepiece

How to use sideman in a sentence

Forever a sideman in the great New Orleans tradition, Nocentelli forgot all about his unfinished solo project for almost a half-century.
Leo Nocentelli’s long-lost folk-funk album sees the light of day, 50 years later|John Lingan|November 19, 2021|Washington Post
Between 1956 and 1971, his prolific output for Blue Note resulted in 25 albums as leader and nearly twice as many recordings as a sideman and featured player, with Morgan always balancing his early influences and searching for new directions.
Lee Morgan’s ‘Live at the Lighthouse’ was a masterpiece that turned out to be a farewell|Shannon J. Effinger|August 27, 2021|Washington Post
It’s been around 60 years since Corea emerged on the New York jazz scene as a promising young sideman.
Remembering Chick Corea, An Endlessly Inquisitive Jazz Pioneer|Andrew R. Chow|February 12, 2021|Time
Although he was admitted into Juilliard for piano, he quickly dropped out and became a sought-after jazz sideman for his crisp agility and ingenious chord voicings, playing with Sarah Vaughan, Mongo Santamaría, Stan Getz and others.
Remembering Chick Corea, An Endlessly Inquisitive Jazz Pioneer|Andrew R. Chow|February 12, 2021|Time

He’s recorded hundreds of albums as both leader and sideman and performed thousands of concerts touching all parts of the world, dating back to the 1940s.
Marshall Allen is 96 years old and still leading one of the most visionary jazz groups of all time|Shannon Effinger|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
And, the life of a sideman had become all the more difficult in recent years.
A Sax Player, Then a Suspect After Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Final Act|Michael Daly|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After 19 years, when will he be promoted from sideman to full member of the Rolling Stones?
Stones’ Keyboard Man Is Ardent Forester|David A. Graham|June 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for sideman

sideman

/ (ˈsaɪdmən) /

noun plural -men

a member of a dance band or a jazz group other than the leader

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012