Julian Dyer put the QRS music roll production policy into perspective
with :

> QRS stay in business selling to consumers rather than collectors --
> and they want new material, film music, pop tunes, whatever.  What's
> wrong with that?  When their new material has been stuff I wanted,
> I have been perfectly satisfied with the rolls."

In answer to the question, my previous posting on the subject did not
claim that there was anything wrong with the way QRS runs its business;
the point I tried to make was that their offerings over the last decade
or so have had no attraction for me.

I have absolutely no interest in piano rolls which simply play a
recognisable tune in an unimaginative fashion.  Again excluding George
Bogatko, where are the present day QRS artists with the arranging skill
and performing brilliance of, say, Johnny Johnson?  His 1920s QRS roll
of "Precious", a pop tune of the day, is a prime example of a somewhat
mundane tune being transformed into a masterpiece when placed in the
right hands.

Even allowing for the dramatic metamorphosis which has overtaken
popular music since then, none of today's QRS artists have the ability
to make a roll which grabs you by the scruff of the neck, parks you in
a chair and says, "This is going to knock your socks off!"  I want a
piano roll to make me lose my socks -- I want to be stunned by a great
performance, I don't want to listen to something which I could play
better myself.

Julian continued :

> Talking to those who run roll businesses as a hobby, it is clear
> that enthusiasts do not support those who sell the material they
> claim to want.

My limited edition JAM label, which caters for a specialist market
(original jazz piano rolls), has been in business for quite a number
of years.  During that time I have never experienced the above problem,
indeed I have a list of people waiting to join my customer list
should someone drop out.  Of course I accept Julian's word that such
a situation exists, but I wonder if it might be due to other factors
such as poor arrangements, faulty perforation, substandard material
quality, etc.

For reasons which he outlined in yesterday's MMD, Andy Taylor is also
disenchanted with QRS.  It is not the first time I have heard these
complaints: several of my serious roll collector friends subscribe to
Andy's views too.

No, I do not condemn QRS for releasing the rolls it does -- but keep
my name off the mailing list.

John Farrell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/