Born: May 5, 1976 Primary Instrument: Bass
Groove. If it’s jazz, funk, Latin, vocal standards, or any other style, versatile bassist Lyman Medeiros always brings his unique and strong sense of groove to any performance. If he is leading his own group or acting as a sideman with such renowned artists as Steve Tyrell or Michael Buble his groove remains constant. Lyman was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and Indianapolis, Indiana to parents with Portuguese, Polynesian, and Irish heritage. He picked up his first electric bass at age thirteen and began studying the upright bass at eighteen. After seeing a dynamic concert by the Ray Brown Trio in 1994, Lyman discovered a passion for jazz that has driven his career. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana then continued his education at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan where he earned a Master of Music in 2000. Lyman flourished at Western. During his time there he earned Outstanding Student Performer awards from the Notre Dame Jazz Festival and Downbeat magazine. He also won the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo’s Emerging Artist Grant, and was awarded a full fellowship to attend the prestigious Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles, California during the summers of 1999 and 2000.
Lyman relocated to Los Angeles in late 2000 and quickly became a well-known presence in the area working with artists such as Plas Johnson, Shelly Berg, N’Dugu Chancellor, Kenny Rankin, Mike Melvoin, Greg Field, Joey Heredia, Patti Austin, Michael Feinstein, and Mary Clayton. In September of 2001, he joined the band of Columbia recording artist Steve Tyrell and has been touring with the popular vocalist ever since. With Tyrell he has shared the stage with many world-class musicians including Byron Stripling, Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff, Warren Vache, John Guerin, Tom Brechtline, Lou Marini, Jane Monheit, Monica Mancini and Karrin Allyson. In the summer of 2003, Lyman toured with vocal sensation and Warner Bros. Recording artist Michael Buble. That tour took him around the world performing in Africa, Australia, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The experience is documented on the young singer’s CD/DVD Come Fly With Me. Throughout his extensive touring, he has played on some the world's most renowned stages including Birdland and the Blue Note in New York City, the House of Blues in Chicago, and the Hollywood Bowl, Catalina’s, and the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.
Lyman has been seen by millions performing on television programs such as The Late Show With Craig Kilbourne, The Wayne Brady Show, The Sharon Osbourne Show, Good Day L.A., Dateline: NBC, The Jerry Lewis Telethon, and popular British talk show Parkinson.
While he loves working in the world of vocal standards, Lyman’s style and influences are as diverse as his background. He's been influenced by a wide array of bassists including Ray Brown, Christian McBride, Bootsy Collins, Jaco Pastorious, and Ron Carter.
Lyman's debut album as a leader, The Funky Supervillain, is now available. The music is rooted in Medeiros's upright bass grooves exploring different styles of funk, jazz, and R&B with a strong emphasis on improvisation and individual expression. The Lower Level is comprised of world-class jazz musicians including Lou Soloff (trumpet legend and founding member of Blood, Sweat, and Tears) and Tom Brechtlein (former drummer with Freddie Hubbard, Joe Farrell, and Robin Ford and Blue Line, currently touring with Chick Corea) amongst others. The album features a basic trio (bass, keys, and drums) with another soloist; either guitarist Steve Cotter (Joey DeFransesco, Bobby Caldwell), vocalist Jessica Vautor, or trumpeter Soloff.
Hard-grooving Lorca Hart and the brilliantly creative Chris Wabich round out drumming duties. Virtuostic pianist Quinn Johnson (Sandro Albert, Sergio Mendes) is featured throughout. The Funky Supervillain showcases Medeiros compositions such as the soulful “Big City Dreams” and the hard-grooving “Tasteycakes” as well as original arrangements of the standard “I Only Have Eyes for You”, the jazz favorite “Beatrice” by Sam Rivers, and the sould classic “Feel Like Making Love.” Cory Milano provides a brilliantly re-imagined electronic intro on the Billy Cobham funk tour de force “Snoopy's Search/Red Baron.”
The Funky Supervillain is available at www.LMbass.com
