The 1960 song Flea called “the greatest recording of all time”

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has singled out Charles Mingus’s “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” as one of the greatest recordings of all time. The song matters to him for its raw, communal energy and its blend of blues, funk, gospel and jazz, which helped shape his ideas about expressive bass playing.

Flea began on jazz trumpet and listened to jazz in his youth, alongside funk and later punk. He praised the recording’s intensity, spirituality and sense of togetherness, saying it sounded as though Mingus and the band were playing from the heart. Its spontaneous feel reflects a side of Flea’s musical interests that he has carried into his work with the Chili Peppers.