Mike Bryan

A fine rhythm guitarist who rarely soloed, Mike Bryan was a journeyman player who never became that famous. He was self-taught on the guitar and grew up in Germantown, Tennessee. He played jobs in Memphis, in Chicago with Red Nichols and then led his own group in Greenwood, Mississippi during 1938-39. Bryan's most famous association was with Benny Goodman, first during 1940-41 and then 1945-46 when he recorded with the BG Sextet (which at the time included Red Norvo and Slam Stewart). After leaving BG the first time, Bryan played with Bob Chester, Jan Savitt and Artie Shaw briefly and before spending much of 1942-44 in the Army. He recorded in Clyde Hart's octet in early-1945, a onetime only group also including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. From the late 1940's on, Bryan was mostly a studio musician in California. In 1962 he led an all-star group (including Doc Severinsen and Georgie Auld) that was filmed as part of a Goodyear Tire jazz television series and the band toured Europe; the resulting soundtrack album was his only recording as a leader. Otherwise Mike Bryan ran a car agency in L.A., later on had a music store and accompanied Martha Raye during a tour of Vietnam. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide