WILL SMITH, SR., PRESIDENT AND C.E.O.
SHARES THE HISTORY OF PTME

Fifteen years ago I met a dynamic pianist from Bryn Mawr, PA, Alfie Pollitt, who was hired to play at my 50th birthday party. After retiring from the refrigeration business and manufacturing and distributing ice in the Philadelphia area, I decided to study music under Alfie, who is also a composer, arranger, and songwriter. Studying music and hearing Alfie play over the years heightened my appreciation for his talents, particularly, and jazz, generally.

In 2002, Alfie and I began working on a CD project that resulted in the establishment of Philly Through My Ear Recording Label and Productions, Inc. (PTME). The original goal of the recording label was to provide people the opportunity to appreciate the genius of Alfie Pollitt’s music, which was accomplished in the Spring of 2003 when it released Alfie, PTME’s first CD. It was also Pollitt’s first as a bandleader, with Mike Boone on bass and Eddie Jones on drums performing 10 of Alfie’s original, never-before-recorded compositions.

PTME remains committed to providing jazz musicians in the greater Philadelphia area opportunities to record their musical compositions and preserving America’s original music – jazz. In the future we hope to produce other genres of music, including gospel.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

ALFRED ‘ALFIE’ POLLITT

Known to many in and outside the music world as Alfie, this native of Bryn Mawr, PA, near Philadelphia, has been playing piano since the age of 3. Alfie credits his musically-accomplished parents, and jazz giants McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane as artists who have helped shape his distinctive and evocative playing style. In talking about his playing, Alfie often says, "I have to go inside and reach for what the Creator has blessed me with." That blessing has resulted in his performing throughout the United States with Billy Paul, Norman Connors, Barbara Mason, Johnny Hartman, and Philadelphia’s Teddy Pendergrass, which included playing on one of Teddy’s records that went platinum, and internationally in Trinidad, Brazil, Jamaica, Canada, and England. His first CD release on PTME’s label, Alfie, consisting of a collection of this remarkable musician’s original tunes, clearly, demonstrates his creative genius as a composer.

LUCKY THOMPSON

This South Philly percussionist has been playing drums since the age of 8, when he played at churches and special engagements. In the 1970s, Lucky began traveling and making TV appearances with his group, The Current Survivors. Since that time, he has toured in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as collaborated with Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul, Nina Simone, Sonny Stitt, Val Ray and Big Momma Thorten. Since 1997, Lucky has served as the Musical Director of Natalie’s Lounge, at 40th & Market, where the likes of jazz greats Hank Mobley, Mickey Roker, Shirley Scott, Sam Reed, Grover Washington, Jr., Tony Williams, and even a young John Coletrane have performed. Aside from playing in clubs, and performing at festivals and concerts, Lucky is equally comfortable in the classrooms at University of Pennsylvania where he is a visiting resident, teaching jazz, percussions, and improvisations. This dynamic drummer can be heard on CDs with Umar Raheem, the Arpeggio Ensemble, Denise King, Val-Ray, and as bandleader on PTME’s new release, Lucky Thompson’s DNA.

MIKE BOONE

Having made Philly his home since 1982, Philadelphia has claimed this bassist, composer, and arranger from Bronx, NY, Mike Boone. From the classical bass classrooms of the renowned Eastman School of Music to going on the road with dancer and actor Ben Vereen, Mike’s professional career was launched. Mike’s music has been influenced by his Uncle, Rocky White - Duke Ellington’s last drummer - Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, and Miles Davis. This exceptional bassist worked with the late Shirley Scott and currently can be seen regularly in Philly, at Ortlieb’s Jam Sessions on Tuesday and Sunday nights. His talents as a performer, writer and arranger are reflected in his two self-produced CDs entitled: Better Late than Never and Old Head.

EDWARD ‘EDDIE’ JONES

A Philadelphia native, Eddie picked up his first pair of drum sticks at the age of 5. With a set of drums and a private instructor by the time he reached 9, Eddie’s musical career was on its way. Listening to Art Blakey, Tony Williams, and Elvin Jones clearly influenced Eddie’s playing, but it was the drummer for a local Philly group, the Catalyst, that taught him how to swing and play jazz. Eddie has played with such notables as Sun Ra, Nina Simone, and Billy Paul. When not performing, Eddie enjoys teaching at the Maplewood Music School in Philadelphia and the Christian Cultural Center in Wilmington, DE.

ANTHONY ‘TONY’ SMITH

Tony Smith, Assistant Principal of Brandywine High School in Wilmington, plays it all - jazz, classical, and R&B, but jazz is his favorite. "Jazz allows me to express myself, and it’s more challenging because you never play a tune the same way twice." Tony started playing trumpet in the 7th grade, and his musical talents later secured him a full scholarship to then-Delaware State College. After graduating, Tony studied with the jazz master Robert ‘Boysie’ Lowrey. In addition to giving private trumpet lessons, Tony founded the first students’ band at Christina Cultural Arts Center in Delaware. Other than playing at the Maine Course in Wilmington, you can find this trumpeter performing regularly throughout the Tri-State area.

UMAR A. RAHEEM

A native of Philadelphia, Umar began studying music theory and harmony at West Philadelphia High School and learned invaluable music lessons later while performing with bands in the US Air Force. Afterwards Umar toured in the US, Canada, Nova Scotia, and the Bahamas with various groups. However, he attributes the music of the great Philadelphia bassist, Jymie Merritt, as instrumental in forming his approach to improvisation. Among others who influenced Umar’s music are saxophonists Gene Ammons, Sonny Rollins, Jackie Maclean, and John Coletrane. Umar’s band, The Renaissance Quintet, has been the opening act for Archie Shepp, the late Philly Joe Jones, Sun Ra, and Alice Coletrane. A prolific composer and arranger, Umar strives to keep his music inspirational, innovative, and in the best classical jazz tradition.

JEFF KNOETTNER

A product of the Berklee College of Music, this pianist, composer, and teacher has performed in various festivals, including the Melon Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, River Blues Festival, and the New York State Blues Festival. Jeff’s musical proficiency extends to playing the trumpet and organ, composing and arranging, as well as conducting. He has performed and recorded with numerous groups, some being the Renaissance Quintet, Arpeggio Jazz & Music Ensemble, the Val Ray Experience, and the Tino Gonzales Band, which has opened for blues legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Charlie Musselwhite. We look forward to Jeff’s imaginative compositions and inventive playing today and on PTME’s next CD release, Lucky Thompson’s DNA.

LEE SMITH

Lee began playing the bass as a hobby while at Philly’s Overbrook High School. His primary instrument then was the trumpet. However, the bass won him over and before he graduated from Overbrook, Lee was playing gigs on the weekend. After his first year at West Chester University, Lee toured and recorded with Philly’s Delphonics, Blue Magic, and Billy Paul. Then he moved to New York in 1977 to work with the great Latino percussionist, Mongo Santamaria, which included touring in the US, Europe and South America, and recording 5 albums, one being the Grammy award-winning album Amanecer. While living in New York, this exceptional bassist worked with such legends as Cedar Walton, Slide Hampton, and Leon Thomas, as well as recorded with Roberta Flack. Lee has also performed with many Philadelphia artists, including Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Bootsie Barnes, Trudy Pitts and Mr. "C."