Barney Kessel With Shelly Manne & Ray Brown
The Poll Winners
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Pristine 2022 180gm remastered reissue from Craft Recordings, for the Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series. Great West Coast Jazz trio recorded by Roy DuNann in 1957. "If The Picture Of Three Grown Men Hanging Onto Giant, Colored Swirl Sticks Looks A Bit Odd, Or If The Title The Poll Winners Seems A Bit Conceited, The Music, Nonetheless -- Recorded In 1957 -- Still Sounds Great In 2002. Besides, Guitarist Barney Kessel, Bassist Ray Brown, And Drummer Shelly Manne Really Did Win Polls In Down Beat, Playboy, And Metronome In 1956, And This Is Precisely What Brought The Players Together. Here, On Their First Outing, They Interpret Nine Pieces For 40 Lovely Minutes Of Modern Jazz. After Kicking Off With A Fine Take On Duke Jordan's "Jordu," The Group Delivers An Emotionally Warm, Six-minute Version Of "Satin Doll," One The Album's Highlights. While Each Player Is Always Fully Engaged In This Small Setting, Kessel's Guitar Supplies The Lead Voice. His Expressive Style Has More In Common With Bluesy Players Like Kenny Burrell Than Cool Ones Like Tal Farlow. This Quality Leads To Sensitive Interpretations Of Melody-filled Standards Like "On Green Dolphin Street" And "It Could Happen To You." As Is Traditional In Small Settings, Both Manne And Brown Are Also Given A Piece Of The Action, Usually Near The End Of A Tune. The Choice Of Material, The Interplay Between The Three Players, And The Lead Work All Meld Together Beautifully On The Poll Winners, Making It A Classic Guitar Album In A Small-Group Setting." AMG Review By Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

The collaboration on "Getz/Gilberto" is often celebrated for its seamless integration of American jazz and Brazilian bossa nova, showcasing the talents of all three artists. Antonio Carlos Jobim's contributions, both as a songwriter and pianist, are integral to the album's success, providing the harmonic and rhythmic foundation for its distinctive sound. The album won multiple Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and remains a landmark recording that continues to influence jazz and Latin music. Its legacy is a testament to the cross-cultural synergy between the artists and the timeless appeal of their music.