|
| The Melody Maker readers polls - 1... |
|
|
For 74 years the Melody Maker was the weekly 'trade paper' for the dance band and jazz musician as well as all those interested in the modern music scene. One of it's continuing features and talking points were the annual Readers Polls where readers voted under different categories for individual musicians, singers, big bands and a host of other categories. Roger Farbey writes: "The Melody Maker was the premier popular music newspaper of the 20th Century. Its annual Jazz Polls were a major event in the Jazz world but were also an important historical record of the state of British Jazz through the years." The polls preserve some of the historical perspective on British Jazz, which the Melody Maker dutifully reflected for many years. |
Jazz writer Brian Davis writing in the early 1980s said: "It must be remembered that fans in those days, (the early 1950s), had an advantage no longer with us; the working big band was still in our midst. Many had regular BBC broadcasts (though less so the overtly jazz outfits), there were also the one-night stands as they toured the country's ballrooms and palais-de-dances where fans became familiar with the band's style and it's soloists. Ted Heath had the famous Sunday Swing Concerts at the London Palladium and some of the more enterprising local cinemas put on big band Sunday shows. So by and large the voters (readers) electing their top musician, swing band, sweet band or Latin band, knew what they liked and recognised quality. Many of the winners during the 1950s came from the ranks of big bands such as Ted Heath, Johnny Dankworth or Geraldo. |
| Melody Maker Poll Winners 1950 - 1954 | |||||
Musician of the year Trumpet: Trombone: Clarinet: Soprano sax: Alto sax: Tenor sax: Baritone sax: Vibes: Piano: Guitar: Double bass: Drums: Arranger of the year: Band of the year: | 1950 John Dankworth Kenny Baker Jackie Armstrong Sid Phillips Ron Chamberlain John Dankworth Ronnie Scott Dave Shand Victor Feldman Ralph Sharon Ivor Mairants Charlie Short Jack Parnell Ken Thorne Ted Heath | 1951 John Dankworth Kenny Baker Jackie Armstrong Sid Phillips *** no vote *** John Dankworth Ronnie Scott *** no vote *** *** no vote *** Ralph Sharon Ivor Mairants Joe Muddel Jack Parnell John Dankworth Ted Heath | 1952 Jack Parnell Kenny Baker Jackie Armstrong Vic Ash Ron Chamberlain John Dankworth Ronnie Scott Harry Klein Martin Slavin Bill McGuffie Ivor Mairants John Hawksworth Jack Parnell Reg Owen Ted Heath | 1953 John Dankworth Kenny Baker Don Lusher Vic Ash Ron Chamberlain John Dankworth Ronnie Scott Harry Klein Victor Feldman Bill McGuffie Ivor Mairants John Hawksworth Jack Parnell Reg Owen Ted Heath | 1954 Eric Delaney Kenny Baker Don Lusher Vic Ash Frank Weir John Dankworth Tommy Whittle Harry Klein Victor Feldman Bill McGuffie Bert Weedon John Hawksworth Eric Delaney John Dankworth Ted Heath |
|
Full results for 1950 published on February 3rd, 1951... Full results for 1951 published on March 22nd, 1952... Full results for 1952 published on March 7th, 1953... Full results for 1953 published on March 6th, 1954... Full results for 1954 published on March 5th, 1955... | |||||
| Year 1957 - Results published on October 19th, 1957 | ||
|
Musician of the year Trumpet: Trombone: Clarinet: Alto sax: Tenor sax: Baritone sax: Vibes: Piano: Guitar: Double bass: Drums: Arranger of the year: Big band of the year: Small combo: |
Johnny Dankworth Kenny Baker George Chisholm Vic Ash Johnny Dankworth Don Rendell Harry Klein Bill Le Sage Dill Jones Ken Sykora Johnny Hawksworth Allan Ganley Johnny Dankworth Johnny Dankworth Tony Kinsey |
Johnny Dankworth was the outstanding figure from this year as many long term favourites held onto their top rankings. Overtly modern musicians were advancing - in the trumpet section Dizzy Reece (ranked 3) and Jimmy Deuchar (4) crept up on old favourite Kenny Baker. Tubby Hayes was in third place in the tenor sax poll behind Jimmy Skidmore and Don Rendell and in the alto sax section Joe Harriott moved up to third. Dill Jones was still incredibly popular with only Eddie Thompson getting close to him in the piano section. Ronnie Ross came within a handful of votes of toppling long term baritone sax player Harry Klein from top spot. Another who just failed to win his section was drummer Phil Seamen. Although formed only six months before the date of the poll the Jazz Couriers came in fourth in the small combo section behind Don Rendell, the new Humphrey Lyttelton mainstream band and the ever popular Tony Kinsey. Outstanding modern jazz guitarist Dave Goldberg although second in his section was unable to get anywhere close to Ken Sykora. full poll results... |
Year 1958 - Results published on January 3rd, 1959 | ||
|
Musician of the year Trumpet: Trombone: Clarinet: Alto sax: Tenor sax: Baritone sax: Vibes: Piano: Guitar: Double bass: Drums: Arranger of the year: Big band of the year: Small combo: |
Johnny Dankworth Kenny Baker George Chisholm Vic Ash Johnny Dankworth Tubby Hayes Ronnie Ross Bill Le Sage Dill Jones Ken Sykora Johnny Hawksworth Allan Ganley Johnny Dankworth Johnny Dankworth Jazz Couriers |
Only three titles changed hands this year - the Jazz Couriers won the small combo section and Tubby Hayes took over the top tenor sax spot. Ronnie Ross swept past Harry Klein to take the baritone sax section first place by a landslide. Don Rendell slid to third place in the tenor sax section with evergreen Jimmy Skidmore again in second place. Last year winners Dill Jones and Ken Sykora both won again with increased margins although still a winner vibes player Bill Le Sage was now being pressured by Tubby Hayes. Johnny Dankworth retained his four top spots and had no serious challenger among the modern alto saxophone players - Joe Harriott was a long way away in third place behind Bruce Turner. George Chisholm continued a long run of success in the trombone section with Keith Christie yet again in the runner up place. Stan Tracey continued to make progress in the piano poll moving up to 4th place from 11th in 1957. full poll results... |
Year 1959 - Results published on January 23rd, 1960 | ||
|
Musician of the year Trumpet: Trombone: Clarinet: Flute: Alto sax: Tenor sax: Baritone sax: Vibes: Piano: Guitar: Double bass: Drums: Arranger of the year: Big band of the year: Small combo: New star: |
Johnny Dankworth Humphrey Lyttelton George Chisholm Vic Ash Johnny Scott Joe Harriott Tubby Hayes Ronnie Ross Bill Le Sage Dill Jones Dave Goldberg Johnny Hawksworth Allan Ganley Johnny Dankworth Johnny Dankworth Humphrey Lyttelton Peter King |
A successful year for Humphrey Lyttelton as his mainstream band took over the top small combos spot and he won the trumpet section of the poll. Joe Harriott had his first win in the alto sax section, moving up from last year's third place to knock long standing winner Johnny Dankworth off the top. Dave Goldberg finally got enough votes to displace long standing winner Ken Sykora in the guitar section. In the small combo section the Jazzmakers (2nd) and Jazz Committee (3rd) won a lot of votes and trumpeter Bert Courtley of the Jazz Committee was up to third place in the trumpet section behind Lyttelton and Kenny Baker. The multi-talented Tubby Hayes now appeared in six polls: Musician of the year (6th), Small combo (7th), Tenor (1st), Baritone (4th), Flute (2nd) and Vibes (2nd). The Downbeat Big Band collected enough votes to register in 4th place in the Big Band section. In the piano section Eddie Thompson (2nd) and Stan Tracey (3rd) closed on long term winner of the section Dill Jones. The New Star section, included for the first time, was won by alto sax player Peter King and included trumpeter Hank Shaw who had been on the jazz scene with Ronnie Scott since 1948! full poll results... |