: a member of a band or orchestra and especially of a jazz or swing orchestra
Examples of sideman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Springsteen went into the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey to do this new rendering, joined in the subtlest possible way by two sidemen whose contributions are so slight, they’re practically sidelined.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
He’s done his share of sideman gigs with high-profile artists, including a spell with Taj Mahal and a decade with Bonnie Raitt (who was enough of a fan to record some of his tunes), but gave his notice a few years back.
—Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The group includes three former Prince sidemen, Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella and Sonny Thompson, although Bland wasn’t on hand Friday night.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
To me, a sideman is the guy in the band who’s literally on the side.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideman
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
He’s done his share of sideman gigs with high-profile artists, including a spell with Taj Mahal and a decade with Bonnie Raitt (who was enough of a fan to record some of his tunes), but gave his notice a few years back.
—Brett Milano, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The group includes three former Prince sidemen, Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella and Sonny Thompson, although Bland wasn’t on hand Friday night.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
To me, a sideman is the guy in the band who’s literally on the side.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideman
Cite this Entry
“Sideman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideman. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share