The 1960 song Flea called “the greatest recording of all time”
Flea has described Charles Mingus’s 1960 recording “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” as one of the greatest recordings of all time. The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist values its mix of funk, blues, intensity and communal feeling, which reflects how jazz shaped his musical outlook.
Flea began with jazz trumpet and grew up listening to musicians including John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Mingus’s expressive bass playing helped him see the instrument beyond its usual rock role; Flea says the track feels spiritual and gospel-like, with a sense of people making music together in the moment.
- Flea calls Mingus’s “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” one of the greatest recordings.
- The 1960 track blends jazz, funk, blues and communal energy.
- Mingus’s playing influenced how Flea thinks about the bass.