Chester's Tommy Smith one of Philly's top keyboardist

Tommy Smith on keyboard sitting in with
the 61st Street Band (not all shown)

Tommy Smith is the guy I consider my longest running classmate as we met at the Wilson Nursery School as mere tots. 

After losing his sight at around the age of 8, Tommy spent most of his time at the School for the Blind in Philadelphia which is why most Chester folks may not know him, but you may know his brothers Howard (Arizona), Jeffery (heading to Seattle), or Derrick.

Still residing in Philly, Tommy has long been considered one of the premier jazz keyboardist in the area. How he gets from gig to gig is still a mystery to me but Tommy plays in many of the live spots in Philly and a ton of private events when he's not working with his own band, Plan B, which had won the WJJZ Best Jazz Band contest in 2008. (Click HERE for more on Plan B)

Yesterday, I joined him at BQ's Spot on Baltimore Ave in Landsdowne, where we had our usual crazy time laughing, joking and knocking down a few between sets.