Lyman, Mel

Born on March 24, 1938, in California, Melvin James Lyman was a writer and musician, playing both the harmonica and banjo. During the 1960s, he joined Jim Kweskin’s jug band and performed as a soloist, becoming a prominent figure in the folk scene. Mel Lyman’s recordings were released by Reprise records, a leading music label, and he was regularly featured in The Broadside, Sing Out, and other magazines of the folk revival. He died in 1978.

The Lyman collection consists of an extensive collection of sound recordings of folk, country, and popular music, maintained by musician Mel Lyman (1938-1978). Among the hundreds of disks are rare 78 rpm records of blues and country performers.