The Poncello story is merely one chapter in the bigger picture that is Ted Jarrett’s extraordinary career as a mover and shaker in Tennessee R&B. Poncello was founded by Jarrett in 1960, after he had started out as a staff producer with Nashville’s Republic label in the early 50s. Subsequently, Jarrett found success both as a songwriter and producer at the Champion and Cherokee imprints in the late 50s and later enjoyed considerable success when the Stones covered his You Can Make It If You Try.
From the outset, Poncello was conceived as something considerably more ambitious. With a house sound that featured horns, strings and expanded rhythm sections, its artist roster included Earl Gaines (whom Jarrett had brought with him from Champion), Gene Allison, his brother Levert, and Herbert Hunter (both of whom allegedly got their breaks standing in for Gene when he was too drunk to perform). Various artistsH Along with its Valdot and Spar imprints, Poncello was pretty much the archetypal 60s independent soul label. However, come 1967 Jarrett wound the label up with the funkier sound of tracks from the Tempo Rhythms, anticipating the template of his next label, Ref-O-Ree. But that’s another story for another compilation.
