''Sideshow'' is the second album by the jazz group 8 Bold Souls. It was recorded in November 1991 in Chicago, and was released in 1992 by

Arabesque Records Arabesque Records is an American record company and label specializing in jazz and classical music. It was founded by Caedmon Audio as a classical music label. In 1988 it was bought by Ward Botsford and Marvin Reiss, becoming an independent labe ...

. The album features performances by saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Edward Wilkerson, saxophonist Mwata Bowden, trumpeter Robert Griffin, Jr., trombonist Isaiah Jackson, tubist Aaron Dodd, cellist Naomi Millender, bassist

Harrison Bankhead Harrison Napoleon Bankhead III (March 1, 1955 – April 5, 2023) was an American jazz double-bassist. Life and career Bankhead became associated with the Chicago jazz scene in the early-1980s. Early in his career, he performed with Fred Ander ...

, and drummer Dushun Mosley.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Brian Olewnick wrote: "The entire cast of musicians is solid and creative... ''Sideshow'' is one of the finest and most unduly neglected jazz albums of the '90s and is highly recommended." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' awarded the album 3½ stars, and stated: "By emphasizing the unusual timbres of the instrumentation... heband creates a singular ensemble sound that is finally more interesting than the often impassioned solos... the stealthy, deliberate pace of the record is... hypnotic." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' determined that it "lacks the vibrant, swinging side this band has displayed in the past."

Track listing

# "Black Herman" (Wilkerson) – 17:11 # "Glass Breakers" (Wilkerson) – 10:42 # " Lonely Woman" (

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

) – 16:52 # "Sideshow" (Wilkerson) – 13:09 # "Light on the Path" (Wilkerson) – 8:02

Personnel

* Edward Wilkerson – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, alto clarinet, clarinet * Mwata Bowden – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet * Robert Griffin, Jr. – trumpet, flugelhorn * Isaiah Jackson – trombone * Aaron Dodd – tuba * Naomi Millender – cello *

– bass * Dushun Mosley – drums, percussion

References

{{Authority control 8 Bold Souls albums 1992 albums Arabesque Records albums