“I’m always busy, because I’m willing to work harder than anyone else. Aside from that, I’m just a shredder bass player who never plays roots and 5ths and was blessed with chops and a good ear.”
Regardless of where he is or whom he’s with, Pancho Tomaselli is always the biggest personality in any room he steps into. Whether it’s his lightning-fast wit, the abundant life lessons that he’s quick to impart, his hilarious tour stories, or the intense charisma he embodies when he sparks up a conversation, the 44-year-old has a swagger all his own. And when it comes time to step onstage, the Ecuadorian-born 4-stringer’s playing somehow overshadows his persona. That’s why legendary acts such as War, Tower Of Power, Rex Brown, Eric Burdon, Dos Lobos, Tricky, Nelly Furtado, and many others have enlisted his powerful playing for their music.
Tomaselli moved from Ecuador at age 20 to attend the Berklee College of Music, but not to study bass. Instead he graduated with a degree in Music Business and Management. From there he moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a high position with Virgin Records in its A&R department, which led him to work with Janet Jackson, the Rolling
By: Jon D'Auria
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