Track Listing

1. Jordu - Ray Brown, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
2. Satin Doll - Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
3. It Could Happen to You - Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
4. Mean to Me - Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
5. Don't Worry 'Bout Me - Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
6. On Green Dolphin Street - Ray Brown, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
7. You Go to My Head - Ray Brown, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
8. Minor Mood - Ray Brown, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne
9. Nagasaki - Ray Brown, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80202 in Music
• Released on: 1991-07-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The Poll Winners trio was based on guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne, who each managed to place first on his instrument in the 1956 Down Beat, Metronome, and Playboy readers' polls, a remarkable feat given the range from hardcore jazz fans to casual generalists who read the magazines. Kessel and Brown had worked together as two-thirds of the Oscar Peterson trio, and they had all played together on numerous recording sessions, but the open sound of the guitar-led trio was a special opportunity for Brown and Manne to share the foreground. Kessel was an outstanding soloist, capable of almost trumpetlike phrases delivered with rhythmic bite and flexibility--unusual in guitarists of the era. His clear, boppish lines intertwine neatly with Brown's loping pulse and Manne's lightly swinging drums, while Brown's solos are almost as dexterous as the guitarist's. It's low-key, melodic music, equally suited for casual and close listening. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

"The Poll Winners" Is A Winner!
Guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne were the people's choice on their instruments in the late 1950s. Since they had recorded together in the past (with a variety of frontmen), it was only natural that they try to reap the financial rewards of their popularity by forming the Poll Winners Trio. Their first album, "The Poll Winners," is the perfect blend of jazz ear-candy and passionate, professional playing. With the exception of Kessel's "Minor Mood," this March 1957 session is an all standard affair, and they are all rendered beautifully, from "Satin Doll" to "On Green Dolphin Street." Simply put, "Poll Winners" is a winner.

jazz classic
Simply one of the great records of the time; therefore important music from leaders in that era.