Herb Pomeroy (left and above, right), founder of MIT's award-winning Festival Jazz Ensemble during a 22-year career at MIT, returned to campus last weekend to conduct the MIT Alumni Jazz Band at Kresge Auditorium during a concert celebrating 40 years of jazz at the Institute (see MIT Tech Talk, April 30). A trumpeter inspired by Louis Armstrong, Pomeroy was a member of the Charlie Parker Quintet and played with Stan Kenton and Lionel Hampton. Pomeroy, an arranger, composer and bandleader as well as a performer, was on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music for 41 years. He is in the International Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame and the Downbeat Jazz Education Hall of Fame.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 7, 2003.
