Melody Maker Readers Poll (1953)...
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Melody Maker Readers Poll (1953)...
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 1953 poll published on March 6th, 1954.

1953
(From the MM:) Two bands formed within the last year have stormed their way to first and second places in the MELODY MAKER Dance Band Poll. The Ronnie Scott Band which celebrates it's first birthday tomorrow has topped the Modern Small Groups. The Dankworth Orchestra with only four months work behind it, notched second place to Ted Heath in the Band of the Year category.
(As a sign of things to come, Tubby Hayes appears in the Tenor Sax section for the first time and Stan Tracey is rated seventh of seven in the Accordion section.
In the Band of the Year section Kenny Graham's marvellous Afro-Cubist's are tied in 27th place with Billy Cotton!)

Johnny Dankworth
Johnny Dankworth



Musician of the year
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Ronnie Scott
3 Jack Parnell
4 Kenny Baker
5 Ted Heath
6 Bill McGuffie
7 Ken Mackintosh
8 Eddie Calvert
9 Don Lusher
10 Johnny Hawksworth
11 Carl Barriteau
12 Jimmy Deuchar
13 Vic Ash
14= Cyril Stapleton
14= Humphrey Lyttelton
16 Don Rendell
17= Tommy Whittle
17= Ralph Dollimore
19 Ronnie Verrell
20 Vic Lewis
21 Kenny Graham
22 Sid Phillips
23 Bruce Turner
24 Basil Kirchin
25 Eric Jupp
26= Steve Race
26= Freddy Randall
28= Vic Feldman
28= Harry Klein
28= Ray Ellington
31 Bobby Pratt
32 Keith Christie
33 Derek Smith
34 Ken Colyer
35= Allan Ganley
35= Frank Chacksfield
37 Mantovani...



Soprano Sax
1 Ronnie Chamberlain
2 Bruce Turner
3 Jimmy Walker
4 Roy Willox
5 Les Gilbert
6 Monty Levy
7 Carl Barriteau
8 Harry Gold...



Bass
1 Johnny Hawksworth
2 Sammy Stokes
3 Lennie Bush
4 Joe Muddel
5 Mickey Ashman
6 Jack Fallon
7 Ronnie Seabrook
8 Frank Donnison
9 Jack Seymour...



Organ
1 Harold Smart
2 Robin Richmond
3 Reginald Dixon
4 Jimmy Leach
5 Jerry Allen...



Guitar
1 Ivor Mairants
2 Roy Plummer
3 Bert Weedon
4 Don Fraser
5 Ken Sykora
6 Laurie Deniz
7 Freddy Legon
8 Jeff Rowena
9 Ike Isaacs
10 Malcolm Mitchell
11 Ray Dempsey
12 Fitzroy Coleman...






Piano
1 Bill McGuffie
2 Ralph Dollimore
3 Dill Jones
4 Frank Horrox
5 Steve Race
6= Harry South
6= Dick Katz
8 Derek Smith
9 Johnny Parker
10 Mike McKenzie
11 Winifred Atwell
12 Artie Hasleden
13 Eddie Thompson
14 Bill Le Sage
15 Stanley Black
16 Joe Saye
17 Norman Stenfalt
18 Ronnie Aldrich...



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



Clarinet
1 Vic Ash
2 Sid Phillips
3 Carl Barriteau
4 Wally Fawkes
5 Henry Mackenzie
6 Nat Temple
7= George Borg
7= Dougie Robinson
7= Frank Weir
7= Monty Sunshine
11 Bruce Turner
12 Ronnie Baker
13= Archie Semple
13= Keith Bird...



Alto Sax
1 Johnny Dankworth
2 Derek Humble
3 Ken Mackintosh
4 Les Gilbert
5 Bruce Turner
6 Carl Barriteau
7 Dougie Robinson
8 Harry Hayes
9 Ronnie Chamberlain
10 Roy Willox
11= Geoff Taylor
11= Joe Harriott
13 Bob Burns...



Drums
1 Jack Parnell
2 Ronnie Verrell
3 Eric Delaney
4 Allan Ganley
5 Phil Seamen
6 Tony Kinsey
7 Basil Kirchin
8 Tony Crombie
9 Joe Daniels
10 George Hopkinson
11 Lennie Hastings
12 Les Dawson
13 Bobby Kevin 14 Jock Cummins
15 Ray Ellington
16 Neville Carter...



Vocal Group
1 Stargazers
2 Sapphires
3 Keynotes
4 Beverley Sisters
5= Tanner Sisters
5= Hedley Ward Trio
7 Malcolm Mitchell Trio
8 Jeff Rowena Quartet
9 Kordites
10 Johnson Brothers
11 Coronets...




Small Group
(Traditional)
1 Humphrey Lyttelton
2 Freddy Randall
3 Sid Phillips
4 Joe Daniels
5 Saints Jazz Band
6 Mick Mulligan
7 Ken Colyer
8 Harry Gold
9 Sandy Brown
10 Bobby Mickleburgh...



Tenor Sax
1 Ronnie Scott
2 Tommy Whittle
3 Don Rendell
4= Jimmy Skidmore
4= Art Ellefson
6 Tubby Hayes
7 Kenny Graham
8 Danny Moss
9 Rex Morris
10= Red Price
10= Keith Bird
12 Joe Temperley
13 Kathy Stobart
14 Lena Kidd...



Baritone Sax
1 Harry Klein
2 Benny Green
3 George Hunter
4 Alex Leslie
5 Dave Shand
6 Harry Gold
7 Kenny Graham
8 Don Honeywell
9 Bruce Turner
10 Oscar Rabin
11 Buddy Featherstonhaugh
12 E.O.Pogson...



Band of the Year
1 Ted Heath
2 Johnny Dankworth
3 Jack Parnell
4 Ronnie Scott
5 Ken Mackintosh
6 Show Band
7 Vic Lewis
8 Geraldo
9 Kenny Baker
10 Joe Loss
11 Squadronaires
12 Basil Kirchin
13 Humphrey Lyttelton
14 Oscar Rabin
15 Stanley Black
16 Ken Colyer
17 Eric Winstone
18 Edmundo Ros
19= Eric Jupp
19= Gracie Cole
21 Lou Preager
22 Freddy Randall
23 Nat Temple
24 Harry Bence
25 Mick Mulligan
26 Ambrose
27= Kenny Graham
27= Billy Cotton
29 Northern Variety Orchestra
30 Ray Ellington
31= Carl Barriteau
31= Victor Silvester
31= Mantovani
34 The Saints
35 Jeff Rowena
36 Billy Ternent...



Male Singer
1 Dickie Valentine
2 Dennis Lotis
3 Frank Holder
4 Frankie Vaughan
5 Tony Brent
6= Benny Lee
6= Dennis Hale
8 David Whitfield
9 Ray Burns
10 Reggie Goff
11 Johnny Grant
12 Bob Dale
13 Ray Ellington
14 Art Baxter
15 Dick James
16= Lee Lawrence
16= Mel Gaynor
16= Howard Jones
19 Derek Francis
20= Tony Mansell
20= David Hughes...


Small Group
(Modern)
1 Ronnie Scott
2 Ray Ellington
3 Norman Burns
4 Carl Barriteau
5 Kenny Baker
6 Tony Kinsey
7 Tito Burns
8 Johnny Dankworth
9 Jeff Rowena
10 Vic Ash
11 Eric Delaney
12 Kenny Graham
13 Joe Saye
14 Reggie Goff...



Trumpet
1 Kenny Baker
2 Jimmy Deuchar
3 Bobby Pratt
4 Eddie Calvert
5 Humphrey Lyttelton
6 Jo Hunter
7 Freddy Randall
8 Eddie Blair
9 Bobby Orr
10 Albert Hall
11 Bert Courtley...



Vibes
1 Vic Feldman
2 Martin Slavin
3 Bill Le Sage
4 Roy Marsh
5 Tommy Pollard...



Girl Singer
1 Lita Roza
2 Cleo Laine
3 Jill Day
4 Julie Dawn
5 Eve Boswell
6 Joan Reagan
7 Pearl Carr
8 Rose Brennan
9 Alma Cogan
10 Marion Williams
11 Marion Davis
12 Marion Ryan
13 Annette Klooger
14 Patti Forbes
15 Neva Raphaello
16= Vera Lynn
16= Jean Campbell...



Violin
1 Stephane Grappelly
2 Louis Stevens
3 Freddy Ballerini
4 Tom Jenkins
5 Max Jaffa
6 Danny Levan
7 Les Baker
8 Syd Lipton
9 Paul Adam...



Accordion
1 Tito Burns
2 Roy Herbert
3 Francisco Cavez
4 Martin Lukins
5 Dave Davani
6 Primo Scala
7 Stan Tracey...

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



Arranger
1 Reg Owen
2 Johnny Dankworth
3 Kenny Baker
4 Eric Jupp
5 Ralph Dollimore
6 Tony Crombie
7 Johnny Keating
8 Jimmy Watson
9 Ken Thorne
10 Harry South
11= Jimmy Deuchar
11= Jack Parnell
13 Stanley Black
14 Wally Stott
15= Ronnie Scott
15= Ron Goodwin...






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