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Paul Bryan has been a versatile in-demand musician, producer, composer, and arranger since the early 1990’s.

His creative and intuitive approach to recording as bassist has added to the albums and concerts of a diverse range of artists over the years, including Aimee Mann, Norah Jones, Susan Tedeschi, Bettye Lavette, Sam Phillips, Mavis Staples, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Jakob Dylan, John Doe, Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Lucinda Williams, Pete Droge, Susanna Hoffs, Hubert Sumlin, and many others.

Bryan has toured as band-leader and bassist/vocalist for legendary songwriter Aimee Mann since 1999, producing five of her most recent solo albums including the Grammy-winning
Mental Illness, as well as Mann’s duo venture The Both, which Mann co-leads with songwriter/guitarist Ted Leo.

As a producer Bryan has also helmed the production chair for a wide range of artists including: Tanita Tikaram
Can’t Go Back, Grant Lee Phillips Little Moon, Glen Phillips Swallowed By The New, and Susana Hoffs Bright Lights among others.

Bryan produced and mixed the critically acclaimed The New Breed and follow-up Suite For Max Brown, released by progressive jazz guitarist Jeff Parker for International Anthem Records. He produced and mixed saxophonist Josh Johnson’s Northern Spy Records releases Freedom Exercise, and Unusual Object. He also acted as producer/mixer for drummer/composer Jeremy Cunningham’s unique 2020 album The Weather Up There (Northern Spy Records) and Electric pianist Lee Pardini’s full-length August Scorched Earth for Ground Up Music.

As an arranger, Bryan has written and conducted dozens of string/woodwind and horn arrangements for numerous records including: Nina Nastasia’s orchestral-leaning Outlaster, Aimee Mann’s Mental Illness and it's theatrical follow-up Queens Of The Summer Hotel, Grant Lee Phillip’s Little Moon, Amy Correia’s You Go Your Way, and Gaby Moreno’s Illustrated Songs.

As a solo performer and composer, Bryan released 2020’s Cri$el Gems, an album conceived and written specifically for his improvisational group’s weekly residency at now legendary Los Angeles jazz venue ETA. Mostly recorded live, it captures the spirit, interplay, and inventiveness of any given night the band took the stage in Highland Park.

2020 also saw the release of
A Better Ghost, an ambient trio instrumental/improvisational project began during the pandemic with Chicago creative music veterans Dustin Laurenzi and Jeremy Cunningham which Mojo Magazine listed on it’s Editor's Choice Best Releases Of 2022.

Bryan’s most recent LP
Western Electric which he describes as his most personal album to date, is an eclectic, progressive exploration of his recent compositions utilizing in-demand drummer Jay Bellerose and saxophonist Josh Johnson.

Bryan is currently involved on the creative team of two musical theatre productions for The Public Theatre in New York City: a musical adaptation of Susana Kaysen’s memoir
A Girl Interrupted, and an adaptation of Aimee Mann’s 2006 album The Forgotten Arm.
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