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Herb Pomeroy, founder of MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, dies at 77

Cambridge, MA...Jazz icon Herb Pomeroy, who founded the Festival Jazz Ensemble (FJE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1963, died August 11 at his home in Gloucester. He was 77.

Pomeroy, a trumpeter inspired by Louis Armstrong who'd played with Charlie Parker, Stan Kenton, and Lionel Hampton first came to MIT where he found a band that was so bad he called their performance, "horrible." He considered telling them "I can't continue here," but instead told the musicians, "Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work."

Herb Pomeroy leading the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble in the 1970s.

That work continued for 22 years, until 1985, and under Pomeroy's guidance, the FJE was transformed into a top-notch, award-winning group, winning wide recognition through their concerts and festival appearances. The FJE has performed throughout the United States; it was also the first college ensemble to appear at Switzerland's prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival

"Herb was the real architect of the jazz program at MIT," said Institute Professor of Music John Harbison. "In the early going of our music program, jazz was one of our flagship activities, even before classical music," Harbison recalled. "Herb was unusual in that he was a wonderful jazz player who liked to and could teach," Harbison continued.

"This is an unfathomable loss to jazz at MIT and the jazz world in general," said Frederick Harris, Jr., the current director of MIT's wind ensembles. "Herb was one of my most important mentors and what is so amazing is that there are literally thousands of musicians who can say the same thing. His reach was incredible. He was a rare and special man who was not only a first-class musician but also a first class human being."

Pomeroy regularly returned to MIT as a guest artist from 2000-2005 and, according to Harris, "He gave so much of himself to our students and to our faculty."

MIT Music and Theater Arts Lecturer Mark Harvey, who married Pomeroy and his wife Dorothy ("Dodie") in 1991 recalled, "It was a signal honor for me to have Herb perform as a featured soloist in my wind ensemble piece 'Beyond,' commemorating Duke Ellington. Herb had played with the Duke and taught a legendary course on Ellington's music at Berklee. Herb brought to this performance, to our students, and to all of his years at MIT, something of the Ellingtonian model of generosity, warmth, and superb musicianship. We will all miss him greatly."

In 2005, when Pomeroy returned to MIT for a concert saluting his 75th birthday, the performance featured alumni conductors and musicians.

"Herb taught us more than music," said Dave Ricks (SB '83 Ocean Engineering; SM '83 Ocean Engineering; PhD '94 Ocean Engineering), a member of the ensemble from 1978-1983 and 1987-1994. "He helped me refine the way I deal with people. He's a master of making things better by bringing out the best in people. Whenever I get confused about what other people are, and what other people are for, I remember how Herb worked with us, and I just focus on treating other people well."

Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 15 in the Pike-Grondin Funeral Home, 61 Middle Street, Gloucester from 4 to 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.

A Memorial Service in Celebration of Herb Pomeroy's Life and Music will be held Sunday, Sept. 9, at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St., Boston, at 3 p.m.

The MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble will perform a memorial concert on Saturday, May 10 in Kresge Auditorium.