Guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne really did win polls in Down Beat, Playboy, and Metronome in 1956. "POLL WINNERS" recorded in 1957 they interpret nine pieces for 40 minutes of 'modern' Jazz. Kessel's guitar supplies the lead voice. Both Manne and Brown are also given a piece of the action. The choice of material, the interplay between the three players, and the lead work are what this album is about.