sideman

American  

[sahyd-man, -muhn] / ˈsaɪdˌmæn, -mən /

noun

sidemen plural

1. an instrumentalist in a band or orchestra.

2. an instrumentalist supporting a soloist or a principal performer.

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sideman British  

/ ˈsaɪdmən /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• sidemen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sideman

First recorded in 1560–70; side ¹ + man

Example Sentences

Bruce Hornsby, a Virginia pianist and later a sideman with the Grateful Dead, was rejected some 70 times by the music industry before he found his professional footing.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

In part, that can be attributed to the fact that Haynes rarely led his own groups, spending most of his time as a first-call sideman.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024

The main distinction is that Esposito is the lead as opposed to the sideman, a designation that he should have received much earlier in his career.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2024

Cleveland forwent college, hitting the road soon after his high school graduation in 1999, and emerged as an exciting sideman, passionate about bluegrass’s history and quick-witted, too — “a good hang,” as Gill put it.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2023

The Committee-man hath a sideman, or rather a setter, hight a Sequestrator, of whom you may say, as of the great Sultan's horse, where he treads the grass grows no more.

From Character Writings of the 17th Century by Various