Mike Bryan (musician)

Mike Bryan
Birth name	Michael Neely Bryan
Born	August 9, 1916(1916-08-09)
Origin	Byhalia, Mississippi, United States
Died	August 20, 1972(1972-08-20) (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Swing, Big band
Occupations	Guitarist, Bandleader
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1934–1972
Associated acts	Benny Goodman

Michael Neely Bryan (August 9, 1916 – August 20, 1972) was an American jazz guitarist.

Biography

Mike Bryan was a self-taught guitarist born in Byhalia, Mississippi on August 9, 1916. Bryan is best known for his time playing with Benny Goodman and his contribution to a series of television documentaries sponsored by the Goodyear Tire Company featuring jazz musicians.

Bryan began his career playing in the Memphis area until 1935 when he joined Red Nichols in Chicago. After that, he led his own band in Greenwood, Mississippi from 1938 to 1939. From November 1940 until May 1941, Bryan worked with Benny Goodman and played with the big bands of Bob Chester, Jan Savitt, and Artie Shaw until he joined the United States Army from March 1942 until November 1944. After his time in the military he worked with some emerging bebop musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker in their small groups. He rejoined Benny Goodman from January 1945 until September 1946 and recorded with both the sextet and the orchestra. Bryan spent several years doing studio work in California. In addition he produced a series of foreign television documentaries for the Goodyear Tire Company featuring jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. He toured Europe in 1962 as music director of a band also sponsored by Goodyear. In 1966 he toured Vietnam with Martha Raye. On 5 May 1957 he married Lady Iris Mountbatten, only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke and a great grand daughter of Queen Victoria. He died of Leukemia in 1972.

References

• Chilton, J. (1985). Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing Street. New York NY, Da Capo Press.
• Claghorn, C. E. (1982). Biographical Dictionary of Jazz. Englewood Cliffs NJ, Prentice-Hall, Inc: 53.
• Feather, L. and Gitler, I. (1999). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York NY, Oxford University Press: 90.
• Kernfeld, B. (2002). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Taunton MA, Macmillan Publishers Limited. 1:336.
• Larkin, C. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz'. London, Virgin Books: 131-132.

Persondata
Name	Bryan, Mike
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 9, 1916
Place of birth
Date of death	August 20, 1972
Place of death