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The Melody Maker readers polls - 3...
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.
This third page of the Readers Polls covers the second half of the 1960s. The results from the 1950s can be seen on a separate page link... and for the first half of the 1960s here link...
The 1960s were noticeable for the dominance of Tubby Hayes, but Britain's other tenor star Ronnie Scott, having won the 1950 poll was still there in third place in 1969 some twenty years later!



Year 1965 - Results published on February 19th, 1966
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Freddy Randall
George Chisholm
Sandy Brown
Tubby Hayes
Bruce Turner
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey
Dave Goldberg
Spike Heatley
Phil Seamen
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Freddy Randall
Roy Budd
After a number of years of growing popularity the modernists had a setback this year as 'non-modernist' Freddy Randall became top trumpet player and his 'trad' style group became the most popular small combo. With Bruce Turner displacing Joe Harriott in the alto sax section and Sandy Brown still holding onto the clarinet vote there was a distinctly mainstream look to the results this year.
The second most popular small group was the Dick Morrissey Quartet and he himself was second in the tenor sax section behind Tubby Hayes. A new modernist arrival was Ian Carr who was fourth behind Jimmy Deuchar in the trumpet section and second in the 'New star' poll behind pianist Roy Budd. He was also in third place in the 'Miscellaneous instrument' section for his flugelhorn work. This section was also won by a flugelhorn player - Shake Keane.
Besides winning the alto sax section for the first time Bruce Turner was voted into third place in the 'musician of the year' category and third place in the clarinet section.
Harry South was another to gain recognition - 'Big band' section (2nd), Piano (4th), Arranger (2nd) and Composer (3rd). full poll results...


Year 1966 - Results published on February 18th, 1967
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Ian Carr
George Chisholm
Sandy Brown
Tubby Hayes
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey
Dave Goldberg
Kenny Napper
Phil Seamen
Harry South
Stan Tracey
Harry South
Rendell / Carr
******
For the first time since the Melody Maker started their readers polls Johnny Dankworth failed to gain a top spot. His big band was pushed into second place by Harry South who also claimed the 'Arranger' award and last years 'Composer' title was claimed by Stan Tracey. It was certainly the end of an era.
Trumpet player Ian Carr shot to the top of the trumpet section and the Ian Carr / Don Rendell Quintet were voted best small combo. Don Rendell bounced up the tenor sax list to finish in third place, his highest place for some time and the quintet's LP 'Dusk Fire' was voted one of the LPs of the year - a new category in the poll. The duo enjoyed further success - Rendell's soprano sax playing earned him the 'Miscellaneous instrument' award with Carr's flugelhorn work voted into third place in this category.
The Dick Morrissey Quartet's 'Storm Warning' also featured in this list with Dick in second place in the tenor sax section and second in the small combo section.
A number of names destined to star in the future appeared - John Surman (baritone sax 3rd) - Terry Smith (guitar 2nd) - Michael Garrick (piano 3rd, composer 4th). full poll results...


Year 1967 - Results published on February 24th, 1968
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Ian Carr
George Chisholm
Sandy Brown
Tubby Hayes
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey
Terry Smith
Jeff Clyne
Phil Seamen
Johnny Dankworth
Stan Tracey
Harry South
Rendell / Carr
John Surman
This year was very much a re-run of the previous year as Tubby Hayes picked up four personal awards. In addition his LP "100% Proof" was voted best record of the year.
Don Rendell and Ian Carr also repeated their success of last year, Carr top trumpeter, Rendell 2nd in the tenor sax section and their quintet top of the small groups. Don Rendell appeared in other sections - 'Clarinet' (4th), 'Musician of the year' (4th), 'Flute' (4th) and top of the 'Miscellaneous instrument' section for his soprano sax playing.
New winners included Terry Smith, Jeff Clyne and John Surman. Michael Garrick improved on last year in 'Piano' (2nd), 'Composer' (3rd) and 'Arranger (6th). Mike Westbrook's big band came third amongst the big bands and he himself was voted second in the 'New star' poll and third in the 'Arrangers' section. John Surman figured in a number of sections of the poll - 'Baritone sax' (2nd), 'New star' (1st) and 'Musician of the year' (5th).
Tony Coe again attracted a lot of votes without coming top in any section and finished - 'Clarinet' (2nd), 'Alto sax' (6th) and 'Tenor sax' (4th).
Despite the changing face of jazz, trombone player George Chisholm again won the trombone section of the poll. full poll results...


Year 1968 - Results published on March 1st, 1969
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Ian Carr
Chris Pyne
Sandy Brown
Harold McNair
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
John Surman
Frank Ricotti
Stan Tracey
Terry Smith
Dave Holland
Tony Oxley
Johnny Dankworth
Stan Tracey
Mike Westbrook
Rendell / Carr
Dave Holland
This year saw real evidence of the 'new wave' of jazz stars displacing many established poll winners. John Surman pushed Ronnie Ross into second place in the baritone sax section and also won the 'Miscellaneous instrument' section for his soprano sax playing. Chris Pyne displaced George Chisholm into 2nd place in the trombone section. Tubby Hayes lost two top places, Harold McNair took over as top flautist and Frank Ricotti won the vibes section.
Bass player Dave Holland won the double bass vote and was also voted 'New star' of the year and drummer Tony Oxley moved ahead of Phil Seamen.
The big band of Mike Westbrook, having come 3rd last year, took two steps up the list to finish as top big band ahead of Ronnie Scott and Johnny Dankworth. Peter King had his highest ever finish in the alto sax section coming 2nd.
Michael Garrick had a lot of support - 2nd in the piano section, 2nd in the 'composer' vote and third placed in the 'Arranger' vote.
Most popular LP was Stan Tracey's 'Little Klunk', his first trio record made in 1958. Tubby Hayes' iconic 'Mexican Green', regarded by many as his best album, was voted into 2nd place. full poll results...


Year 1969 - Results published on February 28th, 1970
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band:
Small combo:
New star:
John Surman
Kenny Wheeler
Malcolm Griffiths
Sandy Brown
Harold McNair
Mike Osborne
Tubby Hayes
John Surman
Frank Ricotti
Stan Tracey
John McLaughlin
Jeff Clyne
Tony Oxley
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Alex Welsh
Keith Tippett
Another year of change as the jazz 'old guard' continued to disappear but remarkably Sandy Brown still held the clarinet crown, but this was to be his last year. Likewise Tubby Hayes still topped the tenor sax section for one last time. This was in fact his last appearance in any top spot. This year he lost his 'top musician' title to John Surman. Surman won two other firsts - 'Baritone sax' and 'Miscellaneous' for his soprano sax playing.
Others to fall by the wayside were Don Rendell and Ian Carr as their successful quintet split up, Joe Harriott was replaced by Mike Osborne in the alto sax section and Terry Smith lost out to John McLaughlin as top guitarist. John McLaughlin's LP 'Extrapolation' was voted top record of the year.
The emphasis now was moving to free jazz and rock influenced jazz and the fans who were around in the great club days of the 1950s, by and large, must have found it a depressing scene. However, the 'Small combo' of the year was Alex Welsh and his LP 'Alex Welsh and his band - 69' was voted the 2nd best record.
One indestructible was Ronnie Scott who won the 1950 tenor sax poll and was still there in third place in 1969. full poll results...

For the first half of the 1970s click here...


This page was last updated during February, 2014.
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