Most underrated sideman

[brookdalebill]

I nominate Marvin Dykhuis. I saw him 25 years ago when my Dad took me and my sister to see a Tish Hinojosa concert in Grass Valley, CA. I was 12 and had gotten my first guitar about 6 months earlier. I was ruined after that, how could I want to do anything else but play country guitar?

I couldn't find any good videos of him picking fast, but he sings great too

Nice guy, too!

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

Funny, as a teenager, I knew I was supposed to be in awe of Angus, but it was Malcom that drew me in. I often wished Angus would get out of the way.

Friday nights, AC/DC tapes and a Valiant Charger...*

Pax/
Dean
* or a Ford Falcon, or a ubiquitous Holden HQ...

 

[Manothemtns]

We talk a lot about the greats, but they could never be without help from others. So this is for the sidemen. I nominate Jack Pearson, one of the most gifted players ever.

Keith Richards couldn't have done it all and have so much fame as "one of the greatest" without the aid of his loyal sideman, Ronnie Wood.

There are a lot of others, but that one popped into my head first.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was one Stevie Ray Vaughn who managed, better than anyone else I can think of, to play both rhythm and lead all at the same time. Then he had enough brain capacity left over to sing and, not just sing, but have the best voice a bluesman could ever dream of having!

 

[PastorJay]

Oh, and I though "underrated" had been canceled

the use of underrated is not cancelled, it's just overrated.

How about just really good sidemen?

Isn't the term "underrated" paired with "sideman" redundant?

Sidemen are anonymous to anybody who doesn't read liner notes or watch particular music shows where they might show up as more than a brief picture on a screen--and then go do some research later.

Meaning they're mostly anonymous to everybody who's not a real music geek or big fan of some particular band.

For example, I've got a friend who can tell you everyone who ever played on a Bruce Springsteen record, and talks about people in her favorite bands (or who play for the Dodgers) like they're her best friends.

But she's got a pretty limited range compared to many of us here. For example, she didn't know who Carol Kaye was until a character based on the amazing bassist showed up on Mrs. Maisel.

I suspect almost all sidemen are unknown to most people, including most fans of the records they played on.

So I'm going with redundant.

 

[1955]

Has boneyguy seen this thread yet haha?

 

[blowtorch]

the best voice a bluesman could ever dream of having!

SRV thought of his singing as his great shortcoming.
I personally don't think he was much of a singer, either

 

[paulblackford]

Bill Holloman. Trumpet, sax, piano, clarinet, hammond B3, etc... A pretty handy guy to have around.

 

[northernguitar]

Four pages and no Mick Ronson?

 

[stonetone7]

True. That's a good point. I'd been viewing malcom as the supporting guitarist for Angus, his rhythm player so to speak, until I saw them live and realized just how much he does, but that doesn't define him as a sideman. Maybe he'd fit better in the underrated category or something.

Angus was the face, Malcolm was the heart. Trying to elevate one over the other is like saying Mick was more important than Keith.

 

[northernguitar]

No way Malcolm Young was a sideman. He wrote the grooves. Without him, there’s nothing for Angus to strut to.

 

[stonetone7]

I guess I’d nominate Brent Mydland, Fred Wesley, Audley Freed or Otiel Burbridge.

 

[tbp0701]

Paul Chambers. Check out his discography.

 

[Guitardvark]

sideman vs session player vs member

a sideman is not a member of the band

"The generally accepted difference is that a sideman performs live while a session musician is hired to perform in a recording studio."

you have named band members as sidemen and session players as sidemen and you cant even tell em apart.

jeeeez...

 

[Manothemtns]

SRV thought of his singing as his great shortcoming.
I personally don't think he was much of a singer, either

I know he didn't think of himself as a great singer. But most would argue that he was. The point is that he did all those things at once and in anyone's book was accomplished at all three. Pretty tough act to follow...which is why no one ever has.

 

[Slim Chance]

Billy Preston and George Harrison probably thought he was one.

 

[David Barnett]

I bet Nils Lofgren always got good marks for "works and plays well with others" on his report cards.

 

[PastorJay]

sideman vs session player vs member

a sideman is not a member of the band

"The generally accepted difference is that a sideman performs live while a session musician is hired to perform in a recording studio."

you have named band members as sidemen and session players as sidemen and you cant even tell em apart.

jeeeez...

I did conflate "sideman" with "session" player, because that's what I thought the OP meant.

I'm prepared to sit corrected. I would stand corrected, but I'm sitting.

 

[P-Nutz]

Mr. Casual!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_DeChant

 

[flathd]

Speedy West

 

[teletimetx]

Buddy Miller