To keep both magazine and readers in closer touch with the ever changing jazz scene, Playboy has added an exciting innovation to its annual poll. We went to the jazz artists who were chosen a year ago for All-Star honors and asked them to pick their own favorite performer in each category. As a result, this year sterling silver Jazz Medals are being awarded to the 29 men and a girl who won a place on the 1959 Playboy All-Star Jazz Band, plus a special group of 16 All-Stars' All-Stars selected by the musicians themselves.
Stan Getz and Jack Teagarden were unable to participate, because they were blowing up a storm abroad during the balloting; Benny Goodman and Erroll Garner preferred not to vote, because they felt they hadn't kept up on all the sounds during the past 12 months. The 1959 Playboy All-Stars' All-Stars were named by the ballots cast by Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Bob Brookmeyer, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Ella Fitzgerald, The Four Freshmen, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, J. J. Johnson, Stan Kenton, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank and Frank Sinatra.
Count Basie was the All-Stars' choice for bandleader of the year, with Duke Ellington not far behind. Miles Davis, who won himself a third-place seat with the 1959 Playboy All-Star Band, was the overwhelming choice of the musicians for top trumpet honors. J. J. Johnson and Bob Brookmeyer received an equal number of votes from their fellow All-Stars, so no special trombone award will be given this year, as a clear-cut single winner is required. In alto sax, too, it was a stand-off, with votes spread among Benny Carter, Paul Desmond, Lee Konitz and Sonny Stitt.
Sonny Rollins won out over Stan Getz as the musicians' choice for top tenor sax man of the year and Gerry Mulligan was almost everybody's choice on baritone. Jimmy Giuffre, whose new trio (including Bob Brookmeyer on trombone) has been making such entertaining sounds lately, won out over Buddy DeFranco in a close contest on clarinet.
Oscar Peterson was the outstanding man on piano during the past 12 months, as far as his fellow musicians were concerned, coming up with a close win over Dave Brubeck, Russ Freeman and Erroll Garner. Musicians and leaders agreed on the rest of the rhythm section, picking Ray Brown, Barney Kessel and Shelly Manne for top positions on bass, guitar and drums in both the All-Stars' All-Star balloting and the reader's poll.
Milt Jackson and his vibes, who took second place on miscellaneous instrument with readers, stepped out in front for a first position with the musicians themselves. Both readers and the All-Stars dig Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald for singing the lyrics, though newcomer David Allen received more than a little attention in the male vocalist category. Votes were spread among the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jimmy Giuffre Trio, Modern Jazz Quartet, Oscar Peterson Trio and George Shearing Quintet, with no single instrumental combo emerging as the favorite, but the Hi-Lo's won out over the Four Freshmen as the jazz stars' choice for vocal group of the year.
Sonny Rolling, tenor sax
Miles Davis, trumpet
Frank Sinatra, male vocalist
Ella Fitzgerald, female vocalist
Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet
Count Basie, leader
Milt Jackson, vibes
Gerry Mulligan, baritone sax
Ray Brown, bass
Shelly Manne, drums
Hi-Lo's, vocal group
Barney Kessel, guitar
Oscar Peterson, piano
