Music for Pianos

J.L.Cook

Jazz gives a sensual delight more intense than the Viennese waltz or the refined sentiment and respectful emotion of the 18th Century Minuet

The New Orleans Times Picayune 1918

Jean Lawrence Cook (1899-1976) was the most prolific piano roll artist in history.  His output has been estimated between 10,000 and 20,000 different piano roll recordings.

Cook was born in Athens, Tennessee, the son of a preacher.  He was orphaned before his 4th birthday, and was raised by relatives who introduced him to music.  He went on to become the most famous name in the history of the piano roll industry.

Cook arrived in New York in March 1920 and recorded some rolls for the US Music Company.  In May 1923 he was engaged by the QRS Music Roll Company where he remained for nearly 50 years.

As a result of his prolific output he also used pseudonyms and some rolls were released under the names of Sid Laney, "Pep" Doyle, and Walter Redding.  He also produced some rolls that were marketed as being played by Fats Waller.

As most of the QRS rolls scanned by Terry Smythe  have a uniform dynamic, I have taken the opportunity to try and give a "live" feel to the files by editing the dynamics of the scanned rolls.  The original files can be found on the Rebirth Site.

MIDI Files recorded by J.Lawrence Cook or his pseudonyms

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