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| Melody Maker Readers Poll (1945)... |
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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 1945 poll published on September 1st, 1945. |
Thousands of entries were received from all over the world and the results - which we publish below - follow very much the same lines as last year. The full results will repay close attention, for many new names are featured in the voting, and bands and soloists who last year were unknown now figure high in the voting. In the meantime we say "Thank you" to the thousands of readers whose enthusiasm and co-operation has once again made the annual "M.M." Dance Band Poll such a great success. |
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Favourite Band Leader 1 Geraldo 2 Carl Barriteau 3 Ambrose 4 Joe Loss 5 Harry Roy 6 Harry Parry 7 Jimmy Miller 8 Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson 9 Ted Heath 10 Harry Davis 11 Paul Fenoulhet 12 Harry Hayes 13 Eric Winstone 14 George Evans 15 George Elrick 16 Frank Weir 17 Jack Jackson 18 Lew Stone 19 Vic Lewis 20 Phil Green 21 Nat Gonella 22 George Chisholm 23 Billy Cotton 24 Henry Hall 25 Lou Preager 26 Stanley Black 27 Johnny Claes 28 Jack Payne 29 Buddy Featherstonhaugh... Clarinet 1 Carl Barriteau 2 Andy Mcdevitt 3 Frank Weir 4 Harry Parry 5 Nat Temple 6 Wally Stott 7 Derek Hawkins 8 Cliff Townshend 9 Robert Feldman 10 Jackie Bonser 11 Wally Fawkes 12 Billy Amstell 13 Douggie Robinson 14 Ronnie Chamberlain 15 Harry Roy Trombone 1 George Chisholm 2 Ted Heath 3 Don Macaffer 4 Jock Bain 5 Lad Busby 6 Woolf Phillips 7 Harry Roche 8 Eddie Harvey 9 Dennis Croker 10 Paul Fenoulhet 11 Eric Breeze... Bass 1 Tommy Bromley 2 Coleridge Goode 3 Jack Collier 4 Charlie Short 5 Joe Nussbaum 6 Bert Howard 7 Tiny Winters 8 Arthur Maden 9 Russ Allen 10 Peter Akister 11 Teddy Wadmore 12 Sam Molyneaux 13 Sid Burke 14 Bob Smith 15 Les Farrell... Guitar 1 Ivor Mairants 2 Vic Lewis 3 Joe Deniz 4 Lauderic Caton 5 Frank Deniz 6 Alan Metcalfe 7 George Elliott 8 Archie Slavin 9 Johnny Denis 10 Syd Colin 11 Bert Weedon 12 Alan Hodgkiss 13 Roland Peachey 14 Jack Llewellyn 15 Laurie Deniz... |
Favourite Soloist 1 George Chisholm 2 Harry Hayes 3 Carl Barriteau 4 Kenny Baker 5 George Shearing 6 Frank Weir 7 Harry Parry 8 Stephane Grappelly 9 Nat Gonella 10 Jack Parnell 11 Ronnie Chamberlain 12 Douggie Robinson 13 Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson 14 Yorke De Sousa 15 Johnny Gray 16 Victor Feldman 17 Aubrey Frank 18 Ted Heath 19 Bertie King 20 George Evans 21 Jimmy Skidmore 22 Dave Wilkins 23 Jackie Bonser 24 Arthur mouncey 25= Buddy Featherstonhaugh 25= Tommy McQuater 25= Billy Riddick 28 Don Macaffer 29= Nat Temple 29= Ronnie Selby 31 Roy Marsh 32 Derek Hawkins 33 Ivy Benson Tenor sax 1 Aubrey Frank 2 Jimmy Skidmore 3 Buddy Featherstonhaugh 4 George Evans 5 Johnny Gray 6 George Harris 7 Ken Oldham 8 Tommy Whittle 9 Andy McDevitt 10 Billy Amstell 11 Reg Dare 12 Harry Gold 13 Joe Appleton 14 Kathleen Stobart 15 Derek Hawkins 16 Freddy Gardner 17 Bert Tobias 18 Freddy Grant 19 Fred Horton... Alto sax 1 Harry Hayes 2 Bertie King 3 Douggie Robinson 4 Derek Hawkins 5 Ronnie Chamberlain 6 Derek Neville 7 Freddy Gardner 8 Carl Barriteau 9 Les Gilbert 10 Ken Mackintosh 11 Ivy Benson 12 Wally Stott 13 Cliff Townshend 14 Monty Levy 15= Nat Temple 15= Ken Franklyn 17= Izzy Duman 17= Joe Crossman... Drums 1 Jack Parnell 2 Jock Cummings 3 Maurice Burman 4 George Fierstone 5 Victor Feldman 6 Phil Watts 7 Dave Fullerton 8 Joe Daniels 9 Carlo Krahmer 10 Bobby Kevin 11 Billy Wiltshire 12 Micky Grieves 13 Syd Raymond 14 Bobby Richards 15 Freddy Crump 16 Clinton Maxwell 17 Joe Watson... |
Small Combination 1 Vic Lewis and his Jazzmen 2 Harry Hayes and his Band 3 Buddy Featherstonhaugh's Sextet 4 Fred Mirfield and his Band 5 George Webb's Dixielanders 6 Feldman Trio 7 Stephane Grappelly and his Quintette 8 Frank Weir's Astor Club Seven 9 Lauderic Caton Trio 10 Johnny Denis and his Novelty Swing Septet 11 George Shearing and his Sextet 12 Harry Gold Pieces of Eight 13 Jack Simpson and his Sextet 14 Johnny Claes and his Claepigeons 15 Joe Daniels and his Hotshots 16 Frank Deniz's Spirits of Rhythm 17 Arthur Mouncey's RAF Quintet 18 George Chisholm's Jive Eight 19 Billy Amstell's Dixielanders 20 James Moody Sextet 21 Phil Watt's RAF Band 22 Syd Raymond and his All-Star Sextet 23 Victor Sylvester's Jive Band 24 Roy Marsh's Swingtette 25 Jive Bombers 26 Jerry Allan Trio... Trumpet 1 Kenny Baker 2 Tommy McQuater 3 Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson 4 Dave Wilkins 5 Freddy Clayton 6 Nat Gonella 7 Billy Riddick 8 Arthur Mouncey 9 Teddy Foster 10 Jimmy Watson 11 Johnny Claes 12 Duncan Whyte 13 Freddy Randall 14 Jack Jackson 15 Chick Smith 16 Derek Abbott 17= Stan Roderick 17= Max Goldberg... Male Vocalist 1 Denny Dennis 2 Benny Lee 3 Johnny Green 4 Len Camber 5 Archie Lewis 6 Vic Lewis 7 Leslie Douglas 8 Alan Dean 9 Sam Browne 10 Jimmy Miller 11 Cyril Shane 12 Alan Kane 13 Steve Conway 14 George Evans 15 Harry Kaye 16 Sid Colin 17 Roy Edwards 18 Harry Roy 19 Jack Cooper 20 George Elrick 21 Pat McCormack 22 Alan Breeze 23 John Silver 24= Nat Gonella 24= Paul Rich 26 Gene Crowley... Miscellaneous (Instruments not shown) 1 Stephane Grappelly 2 Roy Marsh 3 Ron Chamberlain 4 Jack Simpson 5 Robin Richmond 6 Phil Green 7 Bernie Fenton 8 Ronald Peachey 9 Roland Young 10 Ronald Chesney 11 Eric Winstone... |
 Favourite Dance Bands 1 RAF No1 Dance Orchestra 2 Geraldo and his Orchestra 3 RAF Skyrockets 4 Ted Heath and his Music 5 Carl Barriteau and his Orchestra 6 Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson and his All-Star Orchestra 7 Joe Loss and his Orchestra 8 Oscar Rabin and his Orchestra 9 Ambrose and his Orchestra 10 Lou Preager and his Orchestra 11 Eric Winstone and his Band 12 Harry Roy and his Band 13 Harry Hayes and his Band 14 Frank Weir and his Orchestra 15 Stanley Black and his Dance Orchestra 16 Lew Stone and his Orchestra 17 Harry Parry and his Band 18 Teddy Foster and his Band 19 George Evans and his Orchestra 20 Nat Allen and his Band 21 Fred Mirfield and his Band 22 British Band of the AEF 23 George Elrick and his Band 24 Billy Cotton and his Band 25 Vic Lewis and his Jazzmen 26 Johnny Claes and his Claepigeons 27 Maurice Winnick and his Orchestra 28 Victor Silvester's Ballroom Orchestra 29 Phil Green and his Band 30 Jack Payne and his Orchestra 31 Harry Leader and his Band 32 Henry Hall and his Orchestra 33 Billy Ternent and his Orchestra 34 Nat Gonella and his Georgians 35 Duncan Whyte and his Band... Piano 1 George Shearing 2 York de Sousa 3 Pat Dodd 4 Dick Katz 5 Norman Stenfalt 6 Billy Penrose 7 Sidney Bright 8 Ronnie Selby 9 Bernie Fenton 10 Stanley Black 11 Ronnie Aldrich 12 Art Thompson 13 Ken Thorne 14 Malcolm Lockyer 15 Charlie Kunz 16 Monia Liter 17 Billy Munn 18 Carroll Gibbons 19 James Moody 20 Tony Short 21 Ralph Sharon 22 Albert Gordon 23 George Webb... Female Vocalist 1 Beryl Davis 2 Anne Shelton 3 Dorothy Carless 4 Edna Kaye 5 Sally Douglas 6 Doreen Villiers 7 Rita Marlowe 8 Carole Carr 9 Paula Green 10 Terry Devon 11 Elizabeth Batey 12 Rita Williams 13 Julie Dawn 14 Billie Campbell 15 Doreen Lundy 16 Diane 17 Gail Page 18 Dinah Kaye 19 Vera Lynn 20 Dorothy Squires... |