Abe Lyman learned drumming very young and by the age of 14 he was already playing in a Chicago café. Lyman left Chicago for the West Coast and by 1919 he was regularly playing with two other notable future big band leaders, Henry Halstead and Gus Arnheim, in California.
1919 was also the year Abe formed his first band and it became quite a draw. By 1922 his band was appearing on the radio. His orchestra was broadcasting remotes on KOG from The Ambassador Hotel.
A year later Lyman signed with the Brunswick Records. Over the course of the next decade or so, Lyman became one of the labels leading orchestras. In the mid 1930's spent a short time recording for Decca Records and then found a home with Victor Records where he recorded for their Bluebird Label.
Something I didn't know about Abe Lyman until posting this article was the fact that he recorded a number of soundtracks for the Merrie Melodies cartoon series.
In 1947, at the age of 50, Lyman retired from the music business and went into restaurant management. He and his band will always be remembered for helping the West Coast of the United States fall in love with the Big Bands. He made so many recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including Your Hit Parade.
Watch: Abe Lyman perform "Varsity Drag" in 1927
You can hear the music of Abe Lyman right here on Swing City Radio.
