Playboy Jazz Polls

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

oh boy. i found a box of old playboys. this one from '65-- veerryy verrry eenteresting: can you believe there is something cooler in this issue than even a naked catherine deneuve pictorial? what on earth can possibly be better than that. well ill tell u what:

I WAS SO SUPRISED AT WHO WAS LISTED IN THESE POLLS, EVERY YEAR FROM 1959 (THE EARLIEST ONE I FOUND TODAY) THRU '66.....THERE WERE ABOUT 30 CHECKBOXES PER CATEGORY, INCL. CHECK BOXES FOR HANK, FOR WARNE, FOR DONALD BYRD. ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER THE BIG POLL WINNERS-- HANK HAD A GODAMN CHECK BOX EVERY YEAR. I COULDNT BELIEVE IT. THAT MADE ME SO HAPPY. THAT MADE ME HAPPY BUT NOT HAPPY ENOUGH TO BUY IT FOR SIX BUCKS BUT THEN WHEN I FLIPPED THRU IT......THE HANK MOBLEY + CATHERINE DENEUVE COMBO WAS JUST TO KILLER TO PASS UP. YOWZA!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA! I SHOULD CHECK HANK AND MAIL IT IN TO PLAYBOY, 45 YEARS TOO LATE. MAYBE HANK WAS ONE VOTE AWAY FROM WINNING AND ONCE THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE THEY CAN DECLARE HANK THE WINNER!!!!! OH HELL YEAH

[gdogus]

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA! I SHOULD CHECK HANK AND MAIL IT IN TO PLAYBOY, 45 YEARS TOO LATE. MAYBE HANK WAS ONE VOTE AWAY FROM WINNING AND ONCE THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE THEY CAN DECLARE HANK THE WINNER!!!!! OH HELL YEAH

Why are you yelling at us?

[Stereojack]

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA! I SHOULD CHECK HANK AND MAIL IT IN TO PLAYBOY, 45 YEARS TOO LATE. MAYBE HANK WAS ONE VOTE AWAY FROM WINNING AND ONCE THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE THEY CAN DECLARE HANK THE WINNER!!!!! OH HELL YEAH

The biggest laugh was when thy would announce the winners, and would have one of their artists do a two page spread of the Playboy All Star Band. Typically, it would go something like this:

Trumpets - Miles Davis, Al Hirt, Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Alpert

Trombones - J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Bob Brookmeyer

Saxes - Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond (alto), John Coltrane, Stan Getz (tenor, Gerry Mulligan (bari)

Rhythm Section - Dave Brubeck (piano), Charlie Byrd (guitar), Charles Mingus (bass), Buddy Rich (drums), Lionel Hampton (vibes)

Vocalists - Frank Sinatra (male), Barbra Streisand (female), Beatles (group)

[rostasi]

Why are you yelling at us?

Cause that's what Aric loves to do.

[Free For All]

I remember back (in the 70s) when the Playboy jazz poll All Star band was made up of Paul McCartney (best bassist!!), Edgar Winter (best saxophonist!!), Chuck Mangione (best brass!!), etc.

I remember even back then thinking "this is lame". Then I turned back to the pictorials and got back to business.

[Joe G]

The "business at hand", so to speak?

[JSngry]

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA! I SHOULD CHECK HANK AND MAIL IT IN TO PLAYBOY, 45 YEARS TOO LATE. MAYBE HANK WAS ONE VOTE AWAY FROM WINNING AND ONCE THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE THEY CAN DECLARE HANK THE WINNER!!!!! OH HELL YEAH

OH HELL YEAH INDEED!!!!

That's the kind of shit that brings joy to my heart. Seriously.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

did mccartney et al actually get together to jam??

this 1965 poll for the 1966 awards- it does list the beatles for best vocal group, and some other pop groups as well but no BEACH BOYS??!??!? i dont get that one.

can someone tell me the winners of the 1966 poll? id like to see that.

also why is charles mcpherson listed in the best trombone category? misprint?

also who are these tenor guys: Sam Donahue, Wilton Felder, Al Klink, Eddie Miller, Jimmy Woods, Pete Yellin

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

ohoh i also liked the ad for a suit that said: "youre going to the miles davis gig tonight.....what are you going to do? dress for a rock concert?"

if only they knew then! haha

[JSngry]

also who are these tenor guys: Sam Donahue, Wilton Felder, Al Klink, Eddie Miller, Jimmy Woods, Pete Yellin

Sam Donahue - good player, had some fame in the 40s, then again in the early 60s w/Kenton. Perhaps the only tenor player to have more breath in his tone on ballads than Ben Webster.

Wilton Felder - Crusaders/Jazz Crusaders. Helluva player, w/that badass Texas tone.

Al Klink - Fine player, played in Glenn Miller's band. When you heard a tenor solo that didn't sound silly in that band, it was Klink.

Eddie Miller - what can I say? The cat swung. Old school "white" player. They all shoulda been so good.

Jimmy Woods - mostly an alto player, and a damn fine one at that. LA cat, made a few memorable appearances on Contemporary (one of his albums used Andrew Hill as a sideman) & w/Gerald Wilson, then kinda disappeared.

Pete Yellin - also mostly an alto player. New York cat. Played w/Joe Henderson in the early 70s. Still around, but hasn't recorded, I think, in years. Another good player. The world's full of 'em.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

u sure know youre stuff! be right back- time 4 chili

[DRD]

HEY I HAVE AN IDEA! I SHOULD CHECK HANK AND MAIL IT IN TO PLAYBOY, 45 YEARS TOO LATE. MAYBE HANK WAS ONE VOTE AWAY FROM WINNING AND ONCE THEY RECEIVE MY VOTE THEY CAN DECLARE HANK THE WINNER!!!!! OH HELL YEAH

The biggest laugh was when thy would announce the winners, and would have one of their artists do a two page spread of the Playboy All Star Band. Typically, it would go something like this:

Trumpets - Miles Davis, Al Hirt, Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Alpert

Trombones - J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Bob Brookmeyer

Saxes - Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond (alto), John Coltrane, Stan Getz (tenor, Gerry Mulligan (bari)

Rhythm Section - Dave Brubeck (piano), Charlie Byrd (guitar), Charles Mingus (bass), Buddy Rich (drums), Lionel Hampton (vibes)

Vocalists - Frank Sinatra (male), Barbra Streisand (female), Beatles (group)

I find it hard to believe that the Beatles or Streisand would be in a jazz poll. I have some Playboy back issues. I don't remember them including pop or rock stars every year. I'll have to check. Was Cal Tjader ever listed for vibes? And did he ever win? Another thing to check since Cal didn't get all the respect that he so richly deserved.

[marcello]

Boots Randolph used be in there every year.

[7/4]

can you believe there is something cooler in this issue than even a naked catherine deneuve pictorial? what on earth can possibly be better than that.

No. Can you scan and post those photos?

[Stereojack]

I find it hard to believe that the Beatles or Streisand would be in a jazz poll. I have some Playboy back issues. I don't remember them including pop or rock stars every year.

When the poll began in the late 50's it was primarily a jazz poll. By the late 60's, people like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and others were regularly among the winners, which just pointed up how silly the poll had become. I recall one year that Peter, Paul & Mary were the top vocal group. Can't say that I remember for certain that Streisand ever won, but I was just making a humorous point anyway.

[JSngry]

Was Cal Tjader ever listed for vibes? And did he ever win? Another thing to check since Cal didn't get all the respect that he so richly deserved.

Dude, you and ChueyBean need to hook up on the retro-ballotbox stuffing thing he's got planned.

History CAN be altered!

[John Tapscott]

[

The biggest laugh was when thy would announce the winners, and would have one of their artists do a two page spread of the Playboy All Star Band. Typically, it would go something like this:

Trumpets - Miles Davis, Al Hirt, Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Alpert

Trombones - J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Bob Brookmeyer

Saxes - Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond (alto), John Coltrane, Stan Getz (tenor, Gerry Mulligan (bari)

Rhythm Section - Dave Brubeck (piano), Charlie Byrd (guitar), Charles Mingus (bass), Buddy Rich (drums), Lionel Hampton (vibes)

Vocalists - Frank Sinatra (male), Barbra Streisand (female), Beatles (group)

As incompatible as the other sections may be, those 'bone and sax sections could hardly be bettered.

[Free For All]

As far as oustanding soloists in every chair I couldn't agree more with you John, but I expect the element of "section sound" (phrase, blend, balance, time feel etc.) would be a bit of a nightmare, especially in the sax, trumpet and rhythm sections- so many individual (and beautiful) concepts of sound don't always combine effectively. The 'bone section would probably work OK.

Great list of players, though.

[Stereojack]

As far as oustanding soloists in every chair I couldn't agree more with you John, but I expect the element of "section sound" (phrase, blend, balance, time feel etc.) would be a bit of a nightmare, especially in the sax, trumpet and rhythm sections- so many individual (and beautiful) concepts of sound don't always combine effectively. The 'bone section would probably work OK.

Great list of players, though.

That was my point. Great musicians don't necessarily blend together very well. In the 1930's & 40's, Metronome magazine held similar polls, and would assemble recording sessions featuring as many of the winners as they could assemble. These all star sessions resulted in some pretty good music. By the mid 60's, the public's taste in music, and perhaps the music itself, had diversified so much that putting together an aggregation such as this would indeed be a nightmare.

The sax section is a pefect example - five great musicians, but could they really play as a section?

[JSngry]

The sax section is a pefect example - five great musicians, but could they really play as a section?

Other than (maybe) Desmond, they all had a pretty good background in big band work, so they would know what had to be done. And Ball could play one helluva lead.

The question isn't "could they?", it's "would they?". And the answer to that would probably vary from hour to hour...