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The Melody Maker readers polls - 2...
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 second page of the Readers Polls covers the first half of the 1960s. The results from the 1950s can be seen on a separate page link...

During the 1950s certain names appeared over and over again as people like Johnny Dankworth, Kenny Baker George Chisholm and Dill Jones were repeatedly voted into top spot in their respective instrumental sections. But in the 1960s modern jazz musicians brought about a steady change...


Year 1960 - Results published on January 28th, 1961
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
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
Diz Disley
Johnny Hawksworth
Phil Seamen
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Brian Dee
New winners this year included drummer Phil Seamen who pushed Allan Ganley into second place. Tubby Hayes again featured in several sections - his quartet was voted best small combo and his occasional big band came third in the big band section behind Johnny Dankworth and Ted Heath. In the big band section Harry South's big band drew enough support to take fourth place but was omitted because it was formed for one BBC 'Jazz Club' performance only.
The 'New star' winner was pianist Brian Dee and other names in this section included Dick Morrissey (2nd), Alan Branscombe (4th) and Bobby Wellins (6th), all destined to be big names in the future.
The trumpet section was still dominated by trad and mainstream players but Jimmy Deuchar (2nd) and Bert Courtley (4th) did well for the modernists.
Dill Jones again came top in the piano section but this was to be his last year in top spot as in 1961 he emigrated to America. Following his success with the Jazz Couriers, Terry Shannon was voted into second place, followed by Eddie Thompson who for some years had been hovering near the top.
There was a surprise in the guitar section where traditionalist Diz Disley displaced modernist Dave Goldberg. full poll results...


Year 1961 - Results published on February 17th, 1962
Musician of the year;
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band of the year:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Humphrey Lyttelton
George Chisholm
Vic Ash
Johnny Scott
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Dudley Moore
Dave Goldberg
Johnny Hawksworth
Phil Seamen
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Dick Morrissey
Tubby Hayes continued to improve his status this year and was voted 'Musician of the year' for the first time as well as displacing Bill Le Sage in the vibes section. Altogether he held four top spots and was 'placed' in five other sections - flute, alto sax, baritone sax, arranger and composer - a staggering result!
There was little chance of him being displaced in the tenor sax section but it was perhaps a surprise to see Danny Moss in second place. The tenor section included a string of old favourites with Don Rendell (3rd), Ronnie Scott (4th), Jimmy Skidmore (5th) and Tommy Whittle (7th).
There was little change in the trumpet section, Deuchar and Courtley were still the highest placed modern musicians but Les Condon made his first entry in seventh place. Dudley Moore was a surprise replacement for Dill Jones in the piano section. He was also voted into third place in the 'New star' section.
The Downbeat Big Band came third in the big band poll. The most popular small moder combos after Tubby's quartet were Joe Harriott (3rd), Vic Ash/Harry Klein (5th), Ronnie Scott/ Jimmy Deuchar (5th), Don Rendell (7th) and the Jazzmakers (10th). full poll results...


Year 1962 - Results published on February 16th, 1963
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band of the year:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Humphrey Lyttelton
Keith Christie
Sandy Brown
Johnny Scott
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Dudley Moore
Dave Goldberg
Johnny Hawksworth
Phil Seamen
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Alan Haven
After several years of holding the runner-up spot Keith Christie edged past George Chisholm to take the trombone title for the first time. Another surprise was the victory of Sandy Brown in the clarinet section, displacing Vic Ash who had been number one for a long time.
Johnny Dankworth re-claimed top alto place from Joe Harriott who slid to third place behind Bruce Turner. Tony Coe was another reed player starting to collect votes - 4th alto sax, 5th tenor sax and 3rd in the clarinet section. In addition his group came 5th in the small combo section.
In the big band section two names appeared for the first time. Behind the usual Dankworth and Heath bands were the names of Colin Hulme and John Williams.
Bobby Wellins appeared for the third time in the 'New star' section in 8th place - one place behind Dudley Moore who had won the piano section for two years. It seems some of the MM readers were not paying attention to what was going on!
Shake Keane rose to third place in the trumpet section behind Jimmy Deuchar who still couldn't get past Humphrey Lyttelton for top spot. Kenny Wheeler made a first appearance in 9th place. full poll results...


Year 1963 - Results published on February 1st, 1964
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band of the year:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Jimmy Deuchar
George Chisholm
Sandy Brown
Johnny Scott
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Brian Auger
Dave Goldberg
Johnny Hawksworth
Allan Ganley
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Brian Auger
Jimmy Deuchar, after a number of years as runner-up, replaced Humphrey Lyttelton at the top of the trumpet section. Ten trumpet players were listed of which only four could be classed as modernists as the 'trad' bands made a comeback. The others were Shake Keane (3rd), Kenny Wheeler (9th) and Bert Courtley (10th).
Having been regarded as a 'New star' for several years Brian Auger not only won this category but was voted top pianist and his group came second in the 'Small combo' section behind the Tubby Hayes Quartet. Auger, of course, later switched to organ. Stan Tracey was now attracting fans and he came second in the piano section.
George Chisholm displaced Keith Christie after just one year. Similarly Joe Harriott and Allan Ganley recovered top alto sax and drum spots respectively.
Among the top ten small groups only three were modern groups. Apart from Tubby Hayes at the top the others were Ronnie Scott (3rd) and Joe Harriott (6th). Scott had always been in the top few places and again came second in the tenor sax section followed by Danny Moss, featuring with the Dankworth big band (3rd). full poll results...


Year 1964 - Results published on February 20th, 1965
Musician of the year:
Trumpet:
Trombone:
Clarinet:
Flute:
Alto sax:
Tenor sax:
Baritone sax:
Vibes:
Piano:
Guitar:
Double bass:
Drums:
Arranger:
Composer:
Big band of the year:
Small combo:
New star:
Tubby Hayes
Jimmy Deuchar
Keith Christie
Sandy Brown
Tubby Hayes
Joe Harriott
Tubby Hayes
Ronnie Ross
Tubby Hayes
Stan Tracey
Ernest Ranglin
Spike Heatley
Allan Ganley
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth
Tubby Hayes
Ernest Ranglin
The year was another triumph for Tubby Hayes - Musician of the year, top small combo, top tenor sax, top flautist, top vibes player and second place in the big band section pushing Ted Heath into third place as well as second place composer and arranger. Hayes truly dominated the British jazz scene at this time.
A sign of the changing scene and a rhythm and blues boom was that sections were added in the poll for R & B Group and Organ.
Stan Tracey won the piano section for the first time and Spike Heatley displaced Johnny Hawksworth in the bass section. Hawksworth had been a stalwart in the Ted Heath band for many years and had won this section of the poll since the early 1950s.
West Indian Ernest Ranglin pushed Dave Goldberg into second place in the guitar section. Ranglin had attracted an enthusiastic following playing in Ronnie Scott's club and was also voted 'New star'.
Shake Keane continued to be the second most popular modern trumpet player in third place to Jimmy Deuchar and Humphrey Lyttelton. He won the 'Miscellaneous instrument' section for his flugel horn playing. Jimmy Deuchar was in second place for his efforts on the mellophone. full poll results...

For the rest of the 1960s click here...


This page was last updated during April, 2013.
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