Melody Maker Readers Poll (1952)...
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Melody Maker Readers Poll (1952)...
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 1952 poll published on March 7th, 1953.

1952
(From the MM:) Jack Parnell is the new 'Musician of the Year'.
This is the number one surprise in a Poll that has toppled established favourites and brought nine newcomers to the fore. Besides Parnell, newcomers include Vic Ash, Reg Owen, Johnny Hawksworth, and Bill McGuffie.
Other new winners also appear under the various categories that were merged last year under 'Miscellaneous Instruments' that have been restored to individual sections this year.
Last year's 'Swing' and 'Commercial Band' headings have been merged into one 'Band of the Year' rating. Although Ted Heath is still top, Jack Parnell, again second, has whittled away Ted's lead to just 1,413 votes.

Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell

Musician of the year
1 Jack Parnell
2 Johnny Dankworth
3 Kenny Baker
4 Ronnie Scott
5 Jimmy Deuchar
6 Humphrey Lyttelton
7 Ted Heath
8 Bill McGuffie
9 Cyril Stapleton
10 Allan Ganley
11 Sid Phillips
12 Freddy Randall
13 Ralph Dollimore
14 Ken Mackintosh
15 Tommy Whittle
16 Jimmy Walker
17 Eddie Calvert
18 Joe Harriott
19= Steve Race
19= Vic Ash
21 Wally Fawkes...



Trombone
1 Jackie Armstrong
2 Harry Roche
3 Keith Christie
4 Ken Wray
5 Mac Minshull
6 Johnny Keating
7 George Chisholm
8 Don Lusher
9 Ed Harvey
10 Lad Busby
11 Gordon Langhorn
12 Jock Bain
13 Nornan Cave
14 Geoff Sowden...



Bass
1 Johnny Hawksworth
2 Joe Muddel
3 Sammy Stokes
4 Lennie Bush
5 Jack Fallon
6 Mickey Ashman
7 Coleridge Goode
8 Frank Clark
9 Charlie Short
10 Frank Donnison...



Guitar
1 Ivor Mairants
2 Roy Plummer
3 Laurie Deniz
4 Freddy Legon
5 Ike Isaacs
6 Malcolm Mitchell
7 Bert Weedon
8 Frank Deniz...







Piano
1 Bill McGuffie
2 Ralph Dollimore
3 Ralph Sharon
4 Dill Jones
5 Frank Horrox
6 Mike McKenzie
7 Winifred Atwell
8 Johnny Parker
9 Steve Race
10 Alan Clare...



Soprano Sax
1 Ronnie Chamberlain
2 Jimmy Walker
3 Bruce Turner
4 Roy Willox
5 Les Gilbert...



Clarinet
1 Vic Ash
2 Sid Phillips
3 Wally Fawkes
4 Henry Mackenzie
5 Carl Barriteau
6 Nat Temple
7 Keith Bird...



Alto Sax
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Les Gilbert
3 Ken Mackintosh
4 Derek Humble
5 Joe Harriott
6 Dougie Robinson
7 Harry Hayes
8 Ronnie Chamberlain
9 Bruce Turner...



Drums
1 Jack Parnell
2 Eric Delaney
3 Ronnie Verrell
4 Allan Ganley
5 Phil Seamen
6 Tony Kinsey
7 Basil Kirchin
8 George Hopkinson
9 Lennie Hastings
10 Tony Crombie...



Organ
1 Harold Smart
2 Robin Richmond
3 Reg Dixon
4 Jimmy Leach...



Vocal Group
1 Stargazers
2 Keynotes
3 Beverley Sisters
4 Kordites
5 Tanner Sisters
6 Hedley Ward Trio
7 Johnson Brothers...






Modern Group
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Ronnie Scott
3 Ray Ellington
4 Jimmy Walker
5 Norman Burns
6 Tito Burns
7= Eric Delaney
7= Kenny Baker...



Tenor Sax
1 Ronnie Scott
2 Tommy Whittle
3 Keith Bird
4 Don Rendell
5 Jimmy Skidmore
6 Kenny Graham
7 Laurie Gold
8 Mike McKenna
9 Freddie Ballerini...



Baritone Sax
1 Harry Klein
2 Kenny Graham
3 Dave Shand
4 Alex Leskie
5 Benny Green
6 Harry Gold...



Band of the Year
1 Ted Heath
2 Jack Parnell
3 Geraldo
4 Kenny Baker
5 BBC Show Band
6 Ken Mackintosh
7 Basil Kirchin
8 Joe Loss
9 Vic Lewis
10 Sid Phillips
11 Oscar Rabin
12 Squadronaires
13 Teddy Foster
14 Eric Winstone
15 Stanley Black
16 Ambrose
17 Humphrey Lyttelton...



Male Singer
1 Dickie Valentine
2 Benny Lee
3 Jimmy Young
4 Frank Holder
5 Alan Dean
6 Lee Lawrence
7 Dick James
8 Dennis Lotis
9 Tony Brent
10 Howard Jones
11 Bob Dale
12 Teddy Johnson
13 Derek Francis
14 David Hughes...



Girl Singer
1 Lita Roza
2 Cleo Laine
3 Pearl Carr
4 Jill Day
5 Marion Williams
6 Eve Boswell
7 Rose Brennan...


Traditional Band
1 Humphrey Lyttelton
2 Freddy Randall
3 Sid Phillips
4 Saints Jazz Band
5 Harry Gold
6 Christie Brothers
7 Joe Daniels...



Latin-American Band
1 Edmundo Ros
2 Roberto Inglez
3 Stanley Black
4 Hermanos Deniz
5 Santiago Lopez
7 Don Carlos...



Trumpet
1 Kenny Baker
2 Jimmy Deuchar
3 Humphrey Lyttelton
4 Eddie Calvert
5 Bobby Pratt
6 Freddy Randall
7 Jimmy Watson...



Vibes
1 Martin Slavin
2 Vic Feldman
3 Roy Marsh
4 Tommy Pollard...



Violin
1 Stephane Grappelly
2 Freddy Ballerini
3 Danny Levan
4 Paul Adam...



Accordion
1 Tito Burns
2 Roy Herbert
3 Dave Davani
4 Martin Lukins...

(Tito Burns received almost 90% of the votes in this section...)



Arranger
1 Reg Owen
2 Johnny Dankworth
3 Kenny Baker
4 Jimmy Deuchar
5 Alex Leslie
6 Jimmy Watson
7 Laurie Johnson
8 Alan Roper
9 Bob Farnon
10 Ralph Dollimore
11 Wally Stott
12 Norrie Paramor
13 Ken Thorne
14 Ray Martin...









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