Melody Maker Readers Poll (1971)...
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Melody Maker Readers Poll Winners...
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 a summary of those coming in the top three of various poll categories from 1944 to 1974. (The figures show the number of first, second and third places achieved and the dates show the period in which those places were earned).

Trumpet
1 Kenny Baker.............11 - 2 - 3...(From 1944 to 1961)
2 Humphrey Lyttelton....4 - 6 - 5...(From 1949 to 1967)
3 Kenny Wheeler..........3 - 4 - 0...(From 1967 to 1974)
4 Ian Carr......................3 - 1 - 4...(From 1966 to 1974)
5 Jimmy Deuchar..........2 - 6 - 1...(From 1952 to 1965)
6 Harry Beckett.............2 - 1 - 0...(From 1971 to 1974)
7 Freddy Randall..........1 - 1 - 0...(From 1965 to 1966)
8 'Jiver' Hutchinson.......1 - 0 - 1...(From 1944 to 1945)
9= Tommy McQuater.....0 - 2 - 0...(From 1945 to 1946)
9= Albert Hall................0 - 2 - 0...(From 1949 to 1950)
11= Henry Lowther........0 - 1 - 1...(From 1969 to 1970)
11= Dave Wilkins...........0 - 1 - 1...(From 1944 to 1947)
13 Shake Keane............0 - 0 - 3...(From 1962 to 1964)
14= Bert Courtley..........0 - 0 - 2...(From 1958 to 1959)
14= Duncan Whyte........0 - 0 - 2...(From 1946 to 1947)
The following received one third placing: Eddie Calvert (1952), Bobby Pratt (1953), Frankie Donlan (1954), Dizzy Reece (1957) and Hank Shaw (1968)...

Tenor sax
1 Tubby Hayes.............12 - 0 - 2...(From 1957 to 1970)
2 Ronnie Scott..............5 - 5 - 5...(From 1947 to 1971)
3 Alan Skidmore...........4 - 1 - 0...(From 1969 to 1974)
4 Tommy Whittle..........2 - 4 - 1...(From 1947 to 1954)
5 Aubrey Frank.............2 - 1 - 0...(From 1944 to 1946)
6 Don Rendell...............1 - 2 - 6...(From 1953 to 1968)
7 Jimmy Skidmore........0 - 4 - 3...(From 1945 to 1960)
8 Evan Parker...............0 - 4 - 0...(From 1970 to 1974)
9 Danny Moss................0 - 2 - 3...(From 1962 to 1974)
10 Dick Morrissey..........0 - 2 - 1...(From 1965 to 1967)
11 Kenny Graham.........0 - 1 - 1...(From 1950 to 1951)
12= Buddy Featherston'0 - 0 - 2...(From 1944 to 1945)
12= Brian Smith............0 - 0 - 2...(From 1971 to 1973)
Johnny Gray (1946), as a soloist in the Ted Heath Band, won one top place vote. George Evans (1944) won one second place. Kathy Stobart (1949) and Keith Bird (1952) both received one third place result. Tubby Hayes won his twelve first places in consecutive years from 1958 to 1969...

Alto sax
1 Johnny Dankworth.....9 - 4 - 4...(From 1949 to 1974)
2 Joe Harriott................8 - 3 - 3...(From 1954 to 1969)
3 Mike Osborne.............5 - 0 - 0...(From 1969 to 1974)
4 Harry Hayes................4 - 0 - 0...(From 1944 to 1947)
5 Bruce Turner..............1 - 6 - 6...(From 1954 to 1968)
6= Ron Chamberlain.....0 - 3 - 1...(From 1947 to 1951)
6= Elton Dean................0 - 3 - 1...(From 1970 to 1974)
8 Les Gilbert..................0 - 2 - 3...(From 1946 to 1952)
9 Bertie King.................0 - 2 - 0...(From 1945 to 1946)
10 Peter King.................0 - 1 - 2...(From 1968 to 1971)
11 Trevor Watts..............0 - 1 - 1...(From 1970 to 1973)
12= Douggie Robinson...0 - 0 - 2...(From 1944 to 1945)
12= Ken Mackintosh.......0 - 0 - 2...(From 1952 to 1953)
The following received one second place: Derek Neville (1944) and Derek Humble (1953). Freddy Gardner was once third (1947)....

Trombone
1 George Chisholm.....13 - 3 - 2...(From 1944 to 1968)
2 Paul Rutherford..........4 - 0 - 1...(From 1969 to 1974)
3 Jackie Armstrong........4 - 0 - 0...(From 1949 to 1952)
4 Keith Christie..............2-11 - 3...(From 1951 to 1968)
5 Don Lusher.................2 - 0 - 1...(From 1953 to 1957)
6 Malcolm Griffiths........1 - 4 - 0...(From 1969 to 1974)
7 Chris Pyne..................1 - 1 - 1...(From 1966 to 1969)
8 Ted Heath...................0 - 2 - 1...(From 1944 to 1946)
9 Chris Barber................0 - 1 - 4...(From 1958 to 1964)
10 Gordon Langhorn......0 - 1 - 2...(From 1949 to 1951)
11 Don Macaffer.............0 - 1 - 1...(From 1944 to 1945)
12= Lad Busby................0 - 0 - 2...(From 1946 to 1954)
12= Ken Wray.................0 - 0 - 2...(From 1953 to 1961)
One second place went to: Woolf Phillips (1947), Harry Roche (1952) and Roy Williams (1967). Third places went to Jock Bain (1947), John Picard (1962) and John Mumford (1965).

Piano
1 Stan Tracey................8 - 1 - 2...(From 1959 to 1974)
2 Dill Jones....................4 - 1 - 1...(From 1953 to 1960)
3 George Shearing........3 - 1 - 0...(From 1944 to 1947)
4 Ralph Sharon.............3 - 0 - 2...(From 1947 to 1952)
5 Bill McGuffie...............3 - 0 - 0...(From 1952 to 1954)
6 Dudley Moore.............2 - 2 - 0...(From 1961 to 1966)
7 Keith Tippett...............2 - 0 - 1...(From 1970 to 1973)
8 Norman Stenfalt.........1 - 2 - 0...(From 1945 to 1949)
9 Lennie Felix...............0 - 3 - 2...(From 1958 to 1965)
10= Eddie Thompson.....0 - 2 - 2...(From 1957 to 1961)
10= John Taylor.............0 - 2 - 2...(From 1970 to 1974)
12= Terry Shannon........0 - 2 - 1...(From 1960 to 1964)
12= Michael Garrick.......0 - 2 - 1...(From 1966 to 1968)
14= Yorke de Sousa.......0 - 2 - 0...(From 1944 to 1946)
14= Ralph Dollimore......0 - 2 - 0...(From 1952 to 1953)
16 Howard Riley.............0 - 1 - 1...(From 1970 to 1971)
17= Pat Dodd.................0 - 0 - 3...(From 1944 to 1946)
17= Frank Horrox...........0 - 0 - 3...(From 1951 to 1957)
17= Gordon Beck...........0 - 0 - 3...(From 1967 to 1969)
Brian Auger came top in 1963. The following received one second place: Steve Race (1950), Ronnie Ball (1951), Mick Pyne (1969) and Brian Lemon (1974). One third place went to Dick Katz (1949), Felix King (1950), Dave Lee (1958), and Ron Weatherburn (1963)...

Guitar
1 Dave Goldberg...........7 - 6 - 1...(From 1946 to 1968)
2 Ivor Mairants...............7 - 2 - 1...(From 1944 to 1954)
3 John McLaughlin........5 - 0 - 0...(From 1969 to 1974)
4 Terry Smith.................2 - 1 - 1...(From 1966 to 1969)
5 Ken Sykora.................2 - 0 - 3...(From 1957 to 1961)
6 Diz Disley....................1 - 5 - 2...(From 1958 to 1965)
7 Ernest Ranglin.............1 - 1 - 0...(From 1964 to 1965)
8 Bert Weedon...............1 - 0 - 3...(From 1953 to 1958)
9 Pete Chilver................1 - 0 - 2...(From 1947 to 1950)
10 Roy Plummer.............0 - 3 - 1...(From 1951 to 1954)
11 Chris Spedding..........0 - 3 - 0...(From 1969 to 1971)
12 Derek Bailey..............0 - 2 - 2...(From 1970 to 1974)
13 Laurie Deniz..............0 - 1 - 2...(From 1950 to 1952)
14= Joe Deniz.................0 - 1 - 1...(From 1944 to 1945)
14= Vic Lewis.................0 - 1 - 1...(From 1944 to 1945)
16 Alexis Korner............0 - 0 - 3...(From 1962 to 1966)
17 Gary Boyle................0 - 0 - 2...(From 1973 to 1974)



One second place was won by Louis Stewart (1968) and third places went to Lauderic Caton (1946) and Jim Douglas (1967).



Drums
1 Jack Parnell................9 - 0 - 1...(From 1944 to 1954)
2 Phil Seamen...............6 - 4 - 1...(From 1957 to 1968)
3 Allan Ganley...............5 - 5 - 0...(From 1957 to 1966)
4 Tony Oxley.................4 - 2 - 0...(From 1968 to 1974)
5 John Marshall.............2 - 3 - 0...(From 1969 to 1974)
6 Eric Delaney...............1 - 1 - 2...(From 1950 to 1954)
7 Jock Cummings..........0 - 4 - 0...(From 1944 to 1947)
8 Tony Kinsey................0 - 3 - 4...(From 1951 to 1962)
9 Ronnie Verrell............0 - 2 - 4...(From 1949 to 1958)
10 Peter Coleman..........0 - 2 - 0...(From 1949 to 1950)
11 Ronnie Stephenson...0 - 1 - 3...(From 1963 to 1967)
12 John Stevens.............0 - 1 - 2...(From 1967 to 1974)
13 Louis Moholo.............0 - 0 - 3...(From 1970 to 1973)
14= Maurice Burman......0 - 0 - 2...(From 1944 to 1945)
14= John Hiseman..........0 - 0 - 2...(From 1968 to 1970)

The following received one third place: Victor Feldman (1946), George Fierstone (1947), Eddie Taylor (1957), Lennie Hastings and Tony Crombie (1966 shared)...

Bass
1 Johnny Hawksworth..10 - 2 - 1...(From 1951 to 1965)
2 Charlie Short...............4 - 1 - 0...(From 1944 to 1950)
3 Dave Holland..............3 - 0 - 2...(From 1968 to 1973)
4= Spike Heatley............2 - 1 - 0...(From 1963 to 1965)
4= Jeff Clyne..................2 - 1 - 0...(From 1966 to 1969)
6 Tommy Bromley..........2 - 0 - 1...(From 1944 to 1946)
7 Kenny Napper.............1 - 4 - 2...(From 1958 to 1966)
8= Joe Muddel...............1 - 2 - 2...(From 1949 to 1954)
8= Ron Mathewson........1 - 2 - 2...(From 1966 to 1969)
10 Jack Bruce................1 - 1 - 0...(From 1970 to 1971)
11 Roy Babbington.........1 - 0 - 1...(From 1973 to 1974)
12 Coleridge Goode.......0 - 4 - 2...(From 1945 to 1951)
13 Lennie Bush...............0 - 3 - 4...(From 1953 to 1962)
14 Barry Guy...................0 - 2 - 2...(From 1970 to 1974)
15 Sammy Stokes...........0 - 1 - 3...(From 1952 to 1957)
16 Dave Green................0 - 1 - 1...(From 1967 to 1968)
One second place was won by Jack Fallon (1947) and third places went to Joe Nussbaum (1944), Jack Collier (1945), Rick Laird (1963) and Malcolm Cecil (1964).

Clarinet
1 Sandy Brown............10 - 2 - 2...(From 1960 to 1974)
2 Vic Ash.......................8 - 4 - 1...(From 1951 to 1965)
3 Carl Barriteau.............4 - 0 - 3...(From 1944 to 1951)
4 Sid Phillips.................3 - 3 - 0...(From 1949 to 1954)
5 Mike Osborne.............2 - 1 - 1...(From 1970 to 1974)
6 Tony Coe....................0 - 6 - 5...(From 1959 to 1974)
7 Monty Sunshine..........0 - 3 - 1...(From 1957 to 1960)
8 Harry Parry.................0 - 2 - 0...(From 1944 to 1947)
9 Acker Bilk...................0 - 1 - 4...(From 1963 to 1968)
10 Frank Weir................0 - 1 - 3...(From 1945 to 1949)
11 Nat Temple................0 - 1 - 2...(From 1944 to 1950)
12= Andy Mcdevitt..........0 - 1 - 1...(From 1945 to 1946)
12= Henry Mackenzie.....0 - 1 - 1...(From 1950 to 1954)
12= Wally Fawkes..........0 - 1 - 1...(From 1951 to 1952)
15 Dave Shepherd..........0 - 0 - 2...(From 1957 to 1958)
The following received one third place: Bruce Turner (1965) and Don Rendell (1969)

Baritone sax
1 Ronnie Ross..............10 - 5 - 2...(From 1957 to 1974)
2 John Surman..............6 - 1 - 1...(From 1966 to 1974)
3 Harry Klein..................5 - 4 - 2...(From 1951 to 1963)
4 Dave Shand................3 - 0 - 1...(From 1947 to 1952)
5 Joe Temperley............0 - 4 - 4...(From 1958 to 1965)
6 Johnny Barnes............0 - 3 - 6...(From 1964 to 1973)
7 Benny Green...............0 - 1 - 1...(From 1953 to 1954)
8 Karl Jenkins................0 - 0 - 2...(From 1971 to 1974)
The following won a second place: Derek Neville (1947), Freddy Gardner (1949), Alex Leslie (1950) and George Robinson (1954). Third places went to George Hunter (1953) and Buddy Featherstonhaugh (1957).

Prior to 1952, (except for 1950), there was no regular separate section for the baritone sax, it was included in "other" or "miscellaneous" instruments".


Vibes
1 Tubby Hayes...............7 - 4 - 4...(From 1957 to 1973)
2 Frank Ricotti...............6 - 0 - 1...(From 1967 to 1974)
3 Bill Le Sage...............4-13 - 2...(From 1953 to 1974)
4 Victor Feldman...........4 - 1 - 0...(From 1950 to 1954)
5 Roy Marsh...................3 - 2 - 1...(From 1944 to 1952)
6 Martin Slavin..............1 - 2 - 1...(From 1952 to 1957)
7 Tommy Pollard...........1 - 0 - 1...(From 1949 to 1950)
8 Jack Simpson.............0 - 4 - 0...(From 1944 to 1947)
9 Lennie Best................0 - 0 - 5...(From 1960 to 1966)
10= Stan Tracey............0 - 0 - 2...(From 1958 to 1959)
10= Ron Gleaves...........0 - 0 - 2...(From 1964 to 1965)
The following received one third place: Alan Branscombe (1974). Jack Parnell was top "vibraharp" player in 1947 in the Miscellaneous poll.

Prior to 1952, (except for 1950), there was no regular separate section for the vibraphone, it was included in "other" or "miscellaneous" instruments".

Musician of the year
1 Tubby Hayes...............8 - 2 - 0...(From 1960 to 1969)
2 Johnny Dankworth......7 - 9 - 2...(From 1950 to 1974)
3 John Surman..............3 - 1 - 2...(From 1968 to 1974)
4 Mike Gibbs..................2 - 1 - 1...(From 1970 to 1974)
5 Jack Parnell................1 - 1 - 1...(From 1951 to 1953)
6 John McLaughlin.........1 - 0 - 1...(From 1970 to 1973)
7 Humphrey Lyttelton.....0 - 2 - 3...(From 1951 to 1962)
8 Ronnie Scott................0 - 1 - 2...(From 1953 to 1964)
9 Ronnie Ross.................0 - 1 - 1...(From 1958 to 1959)
10 Stan Tracey................0 - 1 - 1...(From 1966 to 1974)
11 Joe Harriott................0 - 0 - 2...(From 1961 to 1967)
Eric Delaney was first in 1954. The following won a second place: Kenny Graham (1950) and Keith Tippett (1971). Third places went to Ralph Sharon (1950), Kenny Baker (1952), Basil Kirchin (1954), Ted Heath (1957), Chris Barber (1960), Bruce Turner (1965), Mike Westbrook (1969), Chris McGregor (1970) and Harry Beckett (1971).
Prior to 1950 there was no Musician of the Year section.

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