A fine rhythm guitarist who rarely soloed, 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 and then led his own group in Greenwood, Mississippi during 1938-39. Bryan's most famous association was with , first during 1940-41 and then 1945-46 when he recorded with the BG Sextet (which at the time included and ). After leaving BG the first time, played with , and 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 and . From the late 1940's on, was mostly a studio musician in California. In 1962 he led an all-star group (including and ) 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 ran a car agency in L.A., later on had a music store and accompanied during a tour of Vietnam. ~ Scott Yanow

Mike Bryan

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