Dave Pomeroy

Dave Pomeroy (born April 26, 1956) is an American musician, known as a Nashville vocalist, songwriter, and producer (Earwave Productions), but is best known as a bassist. He has played electric and acoustic bass in the studio for many recording artists in addition to his solo and concert work. He also has written numerous articles and columns for Bass Player magazine, and has contributed as a writer to a number of books about the music business.

In December 2008, Pomeroy was elected as president of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and in June 2010, he was also elected to the AFM's International Executive Board. Pomeroy was re-elected without opposition to a second 3-year term as Local 257 president in November 2011.

Pomeroy was born in Italy, the son of an American soldier, and spent his childhood and youth in various places. He credits a four-year-long stay in England in the early 1960s as an early musical influence and returned to the country in the mid-70s, when he moved to London to play in numerous local bands. In 1977 Pomeroy settled in Nashville. He was hired by rockabilly musician Sleepy LaBeef within a couple of weeks and went on tour with him for a year. In 1980 he joined Don Williams' touring band and stayed with him until 1994. He briefly returned to the band for Williams' comeback tour in September/October 2010, and occasionally filled in with Williams through the end of 2014.

As a session musician Pomeroy contributed to albums not only by Williams and LaBeef, but also by such diverse artists as Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Toby Keith, Neil Diamond, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Paxton, George Jones, Billy Joe Shaver, Shelby Lynne, Jon Randall, Brenda Lee, Gretchen Peters, Alan Jackson, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Duane Eddy, Allison Moorer, Steve Wariner, Asleep At The Wheel, Matraca Berg, Kathy Mattea, Larry Knechtel, Keith Whitley, Jesse Winchester and Alison Krauss. He is a featured artist on the "Nashville Acoustic Sessions" CD project, with Raul Malo, Rob Ickes and Pat Flynn, released by CMH Records in 2004.

In the 1990s Pomeroy created The All-Bass Orchestra, with personnel ranging from 12 to 22 bassists playing the roles of an entire ensemble. The concert video "The Day The Bass Players Took Over The World," (originally released in 1996 on VHS on his label Earwave Records and re-released on DVD in 2014 with bonus material) featuring special guests Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Oteil Burbridge and Bill Dickens, brought attention to Pomeroy's concept of "all-bass music" as demonstrated on his solo projects "Basses Loaded" and "Tomorrow Never Knows." He has written dozens of articles for Bass Player magazine and has contributed to a number of books about music, including writing the forward for Jim Robert's book "American Basses." Pomeroy has been active in the Nashville community, raising over $250,000 for Nashville's Room In The Inn Homeless program with his annual "Nashville Unlimited Christmas" concerts over the past 20 years.

Among his most recent projects are Three Ring Circle, an "acoustic jam band powergrass trio" with Rob Ickes and Andy Leftwich, and The Taproom Tapes, a live recording of collective improvisations featuring 14 of Nashville's musicians, including Jeff Coffin, Pat Bergeson, Johnny Neel and others. He produced Restless, the first album of new material by Sweethearts of the Rodeo in over ten years, released in 2012. Three Ring Circle's second CD, "Brothership" was released on ResoRevolution Records in April 2011.

Over the years, Pomeroy has become more and more involved in the musicians union as an advocate for working musicians. In December 2008, he was elected president of the Nashville-based Local 257 of the American Federation of Musicians, succeeding longtime president Harold Bradley. In June 2010, he was also elected to the International Executive Board of the AFM for a three-year term and re-elected in 2013. In November 2011, Pomeroy was re-elected without opposition to a second three-year term as President of Local 257 and to a third term in 2014. He was one of the AFM leaders in the forefront of the effort to reform airline carry on policies for musical instruments, a process completed in December 2014. In addition to his AFM responsibilities, Pomeroy continues to record, write and perform in a variety of musical settings, including a new band with guitarist/songwriter Ricky Ray and drummer Rick Lonow called The Keemosabees.

Recordings under his own name:

• Dave Pomeroy and the All-Bass Orchestra: "The Day The Bass Players Took Over The World" concert DVD with guests Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Oteil Burbridge, Bill Dickens, Duane Eddy, Bob Babbitt (Earwave)
• Tone Patrol: Thin Air (Earwave), with guests Sam Bush, Bill Miller and Wayne Roland Brown
• Dave Pomeroy: Basses Loaded (Earwave)
• Dave Pomeroy: Tomorrow Never Knows (Earwave)
• Three Ring Circle: Three Ring Circle (Earwave), with Rob Ickes and Andy Leftwich (Earwave)
• Dave Pomeroy And Friends: The Taproom Tapes (Earwave)
• Three Ring Circle: "Brothership" with Rob Ickes and Andy Leftwich (ResoRevolution)

Pomeroy's producer credits include:

• Sleepy LaBeef – "Rides Again" DVD and CD (Earwave)
• Sweethearts of The Rodeo – "Restless"
• Supercool – "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"

For a comprehensive list of session contributions see Pomeroy's credits at Allmusic.