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 worldís 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.