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 {|Bar... Read more

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. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Less