The 1958 Playboy Jazz Poll

Who blew the greatest horn of the year? Dizzy? Satchmo? Shorty? Ferguson? Whose piano pleased you the most? Who led the rest in big band jazz? You and the other readers of playboy will pick the most popular jazz artists of 1958 with your votes in this second annual playboy jazz poll. You'll pick the musicians for the 1958 playboy all-star jazz band, choose the band's leader, select its male and female vocalists, favorite vocal group and instrumental jazz combo. The winners of this biggest of all jazz polls will be awarded silver Jazz Medals, appear in special radio and television performances and on the 1958 playboy Jazz LP.

1. Your four page jazz ballot starts to the right. A Nominating Board composed of jazz critics, the winners of the first annual jazz poll and representatives of the major recording companies, has nominated the jazz artists it considers to be the most outstanding of the year and this may serve as an aid in your voting. However, you may vote for any living artist in the jazz field.

2. The artists are divided into categories, composing a Playboy all-star Jazz Band, and in some categories you are allowed more than one vote (e.g., trumpet, trombone) because the band carries more than one of that particular instrument. Be careful to cast the proper number of votes, as too many in any one category will disqualify all the votes in that category.

3. If you wish to vote for an artist who has been nominated, simply place an X in the box before his name; if you wish to vote for an artist who has not been nominated, write his name in at the bottom of the category and place an X in the box before it. You will not be penalized if you skip a category, but please vote in as many as you can.

4. For leader, choose the man you feel has done the most outstanding job of leading a big jazz band (8 or more pieces) in the past year; in each category, pick the musicians you feel have been the most outstanding in jazz in the past year.

5. Please note that there are four pages to this year's ballot – be sure to vote for your favorites on all four of them. All four pages must be included in order for your ballot to be valid.

6. Please print your correct name and address in the space on the last page of the ballot. You are allowed to cast only one complete ballot in the poll and that must carry your correct name and address in order to be counted.

7. Cut your four page ballot along the dotted lines and mail to Playboy Jazz Poll, 232 E. Ohio Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. You may use the postage-paid reply envelope bound into the back of this issue for the purpose.

8. Ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight, November 10th, 1957, in order to be counted, so get yours in the mail today. The winners of the second annual Playboy Jazz Poll will be announced in the February 1958 issue.

Nominating Board: Joe Glaser, associated booking corp.; Bill Simon, billboard; Rudy Meyer, birdland; Frank Holzfiend, the blue note; John S. Wilson, high fidelity; Louis Lorillard, newport jazz festival; John Mehegan, new york herald tribune; Leonard Feather, playboy; Henry Busse, Jr., station kowh; Creed Taylor, abc-paramount; Phil Chess, argo records; Nesuhi Ertegun, Atlantic; Sidney Frey, audio fidelity; Gustav Wildi, bethlehem; Alfred W. Lion, blue note records; Bob Kornheiser, cadence; Norman Granz, clef, norgran, verve; David Stuart, contemporary; George Avakian, Columbia; Leonard Schneider, decca; Jac Holzman, elektra; Max Weiss, fantasy; Donald Clark, intro; Bob Shad, mercury; Richard Bock, pacific jazz; Bob Weinstock, prestige; Fred Reynolds, rca victor; Bill Grauer, Jr., riverside; Teddy Reig, roost; Ozzie Cadena, savoy; Don Schlitten, signal; George Wein, storyville; John Hammond, vanguard; Bennett S. Rosner, vik; Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker; Ray Brown; Dave Brubeck; The Four Freshmen; Dizzy Gillespie; Barney Kessel; Stan Kenton; Shelly Manne; Shorty Rogers; Bud Shank; Jack Teagarden; Kai Winding.

Page 1 of your 1958 Playboy Jazz Poll Ballot

Leader

(Please check one.)

Alto Sax

(Please check two.)

Tenor Sax

(Please check two.)

Baritone Sax

(Please check one.)

Clarinet

(Please check one.)

Trumpet

(Please check four.)

Page 2 of your 1958 Playboy Jazz Poll Ballot

Trombone

(Please check four.)

Piano

(Please check one.)

Guitar

(Please check one.)

Page 3 Of Your 1958 Playboy Jazz Poll Ballot

Bass

(Please check one.)

Drums

(Please check one.)

Misc. Instrument

(Please check one.)

Male Vocalist

(Please check one.)

Page 4 Of Your 1958 Playboy Jazz Poll Ballot

Female Vocalist

(Please check one.)

Instrumental Combo

(Please check one.)

Vocal Group

(Please check one.)

Correct name and address must be printed here to authenticate ballot.

Name–––––

Address–––––

City–––––

Zone–– State–––

J.J. Johnson made a special appearance on the Tonight show over NBC-TV as top tram-man in the first Playboy Jazz Poll.

Above, leader Stan Kenton checks a copy of the February 1957 Playboy to learn who else won top honors in the first annual Jazz Poll

Below, Playboy's Janet Pilgrim gives Benny Goodman his medal.

Playboy College Rep Jerry Gidlund presented Frank Sinatra with his Jazz Medal during a personal appearance in Seattle.

A number of the 1957 Playboy All-Stars appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in July and received their silver jazz Medals. Here displaying them with suitable pride and good humor are (above, left and right) Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, and (below) Paul Desmond and Dizzy Gillespie

A number of the 1957 Playboy All-Stars appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in July and received their silver jazz Medals. Here displaying them with suitable pride and good humor are (above, left and right) Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, and (below) Paul Desmond and Dizzy Gillespie

A number of the 1957 Playboy All-Stars appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in July and received their silver jazz Medals. Here displaying them with suitable pride and good humor are (above, left and right) Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, and (below) Paul Desmond and Dizzy Gillespie

A number of the 1957 Playboy All-Stars appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in July and received their silver jazz Medals. Here displaying them with suitable pride and good humor are (above, left and right) Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, and (below) Paul Desmond and Dizzy Gillespie