Melody Maker Readers Poll (1958)...
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Melody Maker Readers Poll (1958)...
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.
The 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 and preserve some of the historical perspective on British Jazz.
This page carries the full results of the 1958 poll published on January 3rd, 1959.
The Jazz Couriers, with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, took the British jazz world by storm in 1958 and won the top small combo place. Besides winning the tenor sax section Tubby Hayes featured in six other sections of the poll including baritone sax, vibes, flute, composer, arranger and fifth place for musician of the year...
1958
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.
Johnny Dankworth dominated the 1958 scene winning five top spots: Alto sax, big band, composer and arranger as well as being voted Musician of the Year.

Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth



Musician of the year
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Humphrey Lyttelton
3 Ronnie Ross
4 Ted Heath
5 Tubby Hayes
6 Chris Barber
7 Acker Bilk
8 Eric Delaney
9 Kenny Baker
10= Tony Coe
10= Ken Moule
12= Dill Jones
12= Allan Ganley
12= Alex Welsh...



Trombone
1 George Chisholm
2 Keith Christie
3 Chris Barber
4 Don Lusher
5 John Picard
6 Roy Crimmins
7 Ken Wray
8 Eddie Harvey
9 Laurie Monk
10= Don Lang
10= Mac Duncan
12 Johnny Bennett...



Bass
1 Johnny Hawkesworth
2 Lennie Bush
3 Kenny Napper
4 Brian Brocklehurst
5 Arthur Watts
6 Bill Reid
7= Mickey Ashman
7= Eric Dawson
9 Dick Smith
10 Phil Bates
11= Jim Bray
11= Sammy Stokes
11= Coleridge goode
11= Bill Sutcliffe
15= Pete Blannin
15= Joe Muddel...



Arranger
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Ken Moule
3 Johnny Keating
4 Eddie Harvey
5 Dave Lindup
6 Kenny Graham
7 Bill Le Sage
8 Wally Stott
9 Tubby Hayes
10 Ronnie Roullier...


Clarinet
1 Vic Ash
2 Monty Sunshine
3 Dave Shepherd
4 Sandy Brown
5 Tony Coe
6 Archie Semple
7 Henry Mackenzie
8 Sid Phillips
9 Terry Lightfoot
10 Wally Fawkes
11 Cy Laurie
12 Acker Bilk
13= Keith Bird
13= Bruce Turner
13= Carl Barriteau ...



Alto sax
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Bruce Turner
3 Joe Harriott
4 Tony Coe
5 Ronnie Ross
6 Derek Humble...



Baritone sax
1 Ronnie Ross
2 Harry Klein
3 Joe Temperley
4= Tubby Hayes
4= Benny Green
6 Buddy Featherstonhaugh...



Vibes
1 Bill Le Sage
2 Tubby Hayes
3 Stan Tracey
4 Lennie Best
5 Martin Slavin
6 Roy Marsh
7 Reg Wale...



Drums
1 Allan Ganley
2 Tony Kinsey
3 Ronnie Verrall
4 Eddie Taylor
5= Kenny Clare
5= Eric Delaney
7 Phil Seamen
8 Jack Parnell
9 Johnny Richardson
10 Lennie Hastings
11= Bill Eyden
11= Graham Burbidge
13=Bobby Orr
13= Stan Greig
15 Pete Appleby...



Vocal group
1 Polka Dots
2 Mudlarks
3 Stargazers
4 Fraser-Hayes Quartet
5 Keynotes
6 Beverley Sisters
7 Michael Sammes Singers
8 Hedley Ward Trio
9 Group One
10= Kentones
10= Coronets
12 Five Dallas Boys
13= Four Jones Boys
13= Three Kaye Sisters...


Small combo
1 Jazz Couriers
2 Humphrey Lyttelton
3 Chris Barber
4 Alex Welsh
5 Tony Kinsey
6 Jazz Makers
7 Terry Lightfoot
8 Dill Jones
9= Acker Bilk
9= EddieThompson
11 Ray Ellington
12= Ken Colyer
12= Johnny Dankworth Seven
14 Don Rendell
15 Al Fairweather / Sandy Brown
16 Bruce Turner
17= Kenny Ball
17= Mick Mulligan...



Tenor sax
1 Tubby Hayes
2 Jimmy Skidmore
3 Don Rendell
4 Ronnie Scott
5 Tommy Whittle
6 Danny Moss
7 Art Ellefson
9 Bob Efford
10= Ronnie Ross
10= Kathy Stobart
11 Red Price...



Other instruments
1 Johnny Scott (Flute)
2 Max Geldray (Harmonica)
3 Ron Chamberlain (Soprano sax)
4 John Bastable (Banjo)
5 Eddie Smith (Banjo)
6 Tubby Hayes (Flute)
7 Kenny Baker (Flugelhorn)
8 Camilleri (Accordian)
9 E O Pogson (Bass saxophone)...



Composer
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Ken Moule
3 Kenny Graham
4 Humphrey Lyttelton
5 Johnny Keating
6 Tubby Hayes
7 Bill Le Sage
8 Eddie Harvey...



Male singer
1 George Melly
2 Frankie Vaughan
3 Michael Holliday
4 Jeremy Lubbock
5 Dennis Lotis
6 Dickie Valentine
7 Lonnie Donegan
8 Gary Miller
9= Matt Monro
9= Malcolm Vaughan
11= Ray Ellington
11= Ronnie Carroll
13= Craig Douglas
13= Bobby Breen
13= Frank Holder
13= Ronnie Hilton
13= David Whitfield
13= Wee Willie Harris
13= Tony Brent
13= Johnny Grant
21 Cliff Richard...



Big band
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Ted Heath
3 Humphrey Lyttelton
4 Kenny Baker
5 BBC Northern Dance Orchestra
6 Eric Delanry
7 Vic Lewis...



Trumpet
1 Kenny Baker
2 Humphre Lyttelton
3 Bert Courtley
4 Dizzy Reece
5 Jimmy Deuchar
6 Alex Welsh
7 Dickie Hawdon
8 Bobby Pratt
9= Ken Colyer
9= Pat Halcox
11 Eddie Blair
12= Mick Mulligan
12= Al Fairweather
14= Kenny Ball
14= Eddie Calvert
16 Hank Shaw
17= Ken Sims
17= Les Condon...



Piano
1 Dill Jones
2 Lennie Felix
3 Dave Lee
4 Stan Tracey
5 Eddie Thompson
6 Alan Clare
7 Fred Hunt
8= Ken Moule
8= Bill Le Sage
10 Terry Shannon
11 Norman Stenfalt
12 Johnny Parker
13 Ian Armit
14 Bill McGuffie
15 Dick Katz
16 Russ Conway...



Guitar
1 Ken Sykora
2 Diz Disley
3 Bert Weedon
4 Dave Goldberg
5 Ike Isaacs
6 Ivor Mairants
7 Judd Proctor
8 Denny Wright
9 Lonnie Donegan
9 Tommy Steele
10 Roy Plummer...



Female Singer
1 Cleo Laine
2 Ottilie Patterson
3 Rosemary Squires
4 Shirley Bassey
5 Lita Roza
6 Anne Shelton
7 Beryl Bryden
8 Marion Ryan
9 Alma Cogan
10= Maxine Daniels
10= Sheila Buxton
10= Josephine Stahl
13= Betty Smith
13= Eve Boswell
13= Kathie Kay...



This page was last updated during February, 2012.
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