Lou Pomanti

Lou Pomanti
Born
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresJazz, funk, R&B, pop
OccupationsComposer, producer, keyboardist, musical director, arranger
InstrumentsPiano, synthesizer, keyboard

Lou Pomanti is a Canadian composer, producer, keyboardist, musical director, and award-winning arranger, known for his work in jazz, pop, television and film, and for serving as musical director for major Canadian awards shows.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early life

Pomanti was born in Toronto and raised in the Weston neighborhood of Toronto. He began studying piano as a youth, completed studies at The Royal Conservatory of Music, and later attended Humber College’s jazz program.[5]

Career

In 1980 Pomanti joined David Clayton-Thomas on tour with Blood, Sweat & Tears and later produced Clayton-Thomas’s album "Soul Ballads". By the mid-1980s he was regularly engaged as a pianist, keyboardist, and arranger, contributing to recordings and performances by artists such as Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Triumph, Jeff Healey, Kim Mitchell and Marc Jordan.[1][6][7]

Beginning in the 1990s Pomanti expanded into composing and arranging for television and film; his credits include work for CBC, CTV, Global and other networks, and he has served repeatedly as musical director for the Gemini Awards (now part of the Canadian Screen Awards), the Genie Awards, the Juno Awards and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremonies.[1][5]

Pomanti arranged strings and horns on several Michael Bublé recordings (including work credited on Crazy Love) and has provided orchestral arrangements and production on many commercial recordings.[1][6]

Pomanti leads the Toronto-based horn ensemble Oakland Stroke and continues to perform, arrange and produce; he also released the collaborative album Lou Pomanti & Friends (2022).[8]

Awards and honors

  • 2007 Gemini Award (arranging/conducting) — Pomanti received a Gemini Award for his arrangement and conducting of Joni Mitchell’s "Both Sides Now" during her Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction.[1][2][4][5][9]
  • 2007 Gemini Award nomination (Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series) - with Michael Bublé for the song "How About You?" for the series "Words to Music: The Songwriters Hall of Fame"[10]
  • Multiple Gemini nominations and additional honors for his television and live-event work.[1][2][4][5]
  • In 2009, the City of Toronto approved naming a new street Lou Pomanti Street to honor his contributions to music. The street was subsequently listed in the official 2012 Toronto street index.[2][11][12]
  • He was the recipient of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Toronto Musicians Association.

Discography

Albums

  • Welcome to the Boogaloo Lounge (2011).[8][13]
  • Lou Pomanti & Friends (2022). Vesuvius Music.[8][14]
  • Butterfly (2024) — collaboration with Robyn Black.[9][15]

Selected contributions

  • Orchestration/arrangements on Michael Bublé's Crazy Love (selected tracks).[1][6]
  • Producer/arranger for David Clayton-Thomas (Soul Ballads).[1][6][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Glassford, Malcolmn (12 March 2012). "Lou Pomanti". JazzTimes. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Naming of Proposed Streets at 2277 to 2295 Sheppard Avenue West - Draft Plan of Subdivision" (PDF). City of Toronto. 26 August 2009. p. 7. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  3. ^ Rake, Jamie Lee (25 August 2022). "Lou Pomanti & Friends By Lou Pomanti". Sheppard Express. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Lou Pomanti - Yamaha - Canada". Yamaha Canada. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e King, Bill. "A Conversation with Musician and Producer Lou Pomanti". Billboard Canada. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "Lou Pomanti". Core Music Agency. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  7. ^ Michie, Allen (11 May 2023). "Album Review: Canadian Singer/Songwriter Marc Jordan — An Elegant Discovery". The Arts Fuse. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Lou Pomanti's new album features all-star cast of Canadian talent". JAZZ.FM91. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Lou Pomanti and Robyn Black". Canadian Music Spotlight. 31 March 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  10. ^ Bawden, Jim (October 26, 2007). "Live from Saskatchewan". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Supplementary Report - Naming of Proposed Streets at 2277 to 2295 Sheppard Avenue West - Draft Plan of Subdivision" (PDF). City of Toronto. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  12. ^ "2012 Road Classification System – Etobicoke-York District Street Name Index" (PDF). City of Toronto. August 2013. p. 10. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Welcome to the Boogaloo Lounge - Album by Lou Pomanti". Apple Music. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Lou Pomanti & Friends - Album by Lou Pomanti". Apple Music. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Butterfly - Album by Robyn Black and Lou Pomanti". Apple Music. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
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