I'm one of those who thinks that Lawrence Cook was a true genius at
making piano roll arrangements, and I have plenty of company!  Recently
we were given a box of rolls and among them was QRS 2083, 'Way Down
Yonder in New Orleans.'  This simply has to be one of the best examples
I've ever heard of his work.

If you have a copy or can get one, put it on your pumper and do more
than just play it -- watch what's going on with the perforated holes
and where they're at.  The man's ability to be all over the keyboard
at the same time he's making key changes is just beyond belief.  Try
it and see if you don't agree with me.

I checked the Billings Rollography for #2083, only to find that it
was issued in 1922, played by Pete Wendling, yet this surely wasn't
Wendling's work.  A call to Ginny Billings resolved the mystery when
I read her the complete label information -- it says 'Way Down Yonder
in New Orleans Swing Fox Trot'.  Ginny said that frequently when 'swing
music' became popular Cook (and perhaps others) would 'rework' an
earlier title, but not re-identify it with a new number and this is
why it doesn't appear in the Rollography.  They simply had no way of
knowing about it when she and Bob put these books together.

Another example is 'Whispering', which came out as a duet in 1921.
It was rearranged by "Pep Doyle" (a Cook pseudonym) and titled as a
'New Arrangement' but with the original number 1186.

I visited the New York City QRS factory only once, and had just a few
minutes there.  It was in 1957.  I met Max Kortlander and Lawrence Cook
and took a picture of Cook at the 'arranging piano.'  This picture
appeared in Player Piano Treasury and lots of other places since.  If
there are other pictures of him at the instrument I'm not aware of
them.

Lawrence visited our home on a couple of occasions.  I'm pleased to
have gotten at least slightly acquainted with the man who contributed
so much to popular piano roll music and helped keep the business alive
when the industry was on the downslide after 1923 (the peak year) and
in the depression years that followed.

Harvey Roehl
Vestal NY USA