Ragtime · Blues · Hot Piano J. Lawrence Cook |
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He graduated from college preparatory and piano courses toward the end of 1919. Sometime around his twentieth birthday he saw an advert in the music magazine Etude about a Leabarjan music roll perforator. After completing school, he took up work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for about a year and managed to save enough money to purchase a Style #5 Leabarjan perforator for $50.00. |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following advert from the Dramatic Mirror and Theatre World, dated Saturday, 19th March 1921, Classified—503, column 3. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following advert from The Billboard, dated Saturday, 21st May 1921, page 41, columns 2—3. |
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Possibly his first free-lance commercial assignment was for the “Bradford Song Roll Company.” Songwriter Perry Bradford, an associate of Jelly Roll Morton, ran the company, which was located at 1547 Broadway, New York. A monthly bulletin for June 1921, featuring 5 hits of the famous blues singer Mamie Smith, was published in The Chicago Defender, dated Saturday, 4th June 1921, page 7, column 6. [AW 1] |
18th STREET STRUT – BLUES played by Eubie Jones |
I began my search for J. Lawrence Cook by first writing to QRS at their Buffalo, New York headquarters enquiring of his present whereabouts. I received a swift reply from Ramsi P. Tick the President of QRS, who promised to forward any letters on to Lawrence at his home at 57, Esplanade, Mount Vernon, N.Y. |
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In my next letter to Lawrence I asked him just how many music rolls he had arranged during his career and how he compared the arrangements of today with the great numbers of the past. I also wanted to know if he could help me obtain some sheet music arrangements of Jelly Roll Morton. This is the reply I received from him: |
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During the 1920s, while he was working at QRS, Lawrence arranged a huge number of music rolls that were recorded by named artists on the Melville Clark recording piano. He continued to do this until recording operations were suspended due to falling sales caused by the Depression. |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from the New York Age, dated Saturday, 2nd November 1929, page 8, column 2. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following advert from the New York Age, dated Saturday, 12th July 1930, page 7, column 2. |
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Dr. Jean Lawrence Cook sends details of this interesting piano folio titled: J. LAWRENCE COOK’S Collection of Modernistic Jazz Arrangements for Piano, which was published in 1930. |
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Steven Townsend and Prof. Alan Wallace send the following biographical entry for Jean Lawrence Cook from Who’s Who in Colored America, 4th edition 1933—1937, edited and published by Thomas Yenser, page 133. The photograph of J. Lawrence Cook accompanies his entry and appears on page 131. |
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TRUCKIN’ played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following advert from the New York Age, dated Saturday, 30th June 1934, page 5, column 2. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends details of the following items of J. Lawrence Cook memorabilia from his collection. |
In 1934 Handy Brothers Music Co., Inc. published a 17-page folio of 50 Styles of Playing W. C. Handy’s SAINT LOUIS BLUES Jazz Breaks for Piano, arranged by J. Lawrence Cook, Q.R.S. Player Roll Artist and Earle L. Sparks. Price $1.00. [Left Cover] In 1946 Alfred Music Co., Inc. (Publishers of Instrumental Novelties by America’s Modern Composers) published a 17-page folio of 50 Styles of Playing W. C. Handy’s SAINT LOUIS BLUES Jazz Breaks for Piano, arranged by J. Lawrence Cook, Q.R.S. Player Roll Artist and Earle L. Sparks. Price $1.00. [Right Cover] |
TOP HAT played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Karl Ellison and Randolph Herr send the following article, which was published in the Fortune magazine, dated December 1934. |
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EXACTLY LIKE YOU played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Millie Gaddini sends the following article from Teddy Wilson Talks Jazz by Teddy Wilson, with Arie Ligthart and Humphrey van Loo, published by Cassell, London and New York, 1996, pages 110—111. |
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I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from the New York Age, dated Saturday, 8th February 1941, page 6, columns 3—4. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from the Music column of the TIME magazine, dated 15th February 1943, Vol. XLI, No. 7. |
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THE JUMPIN’ JIVE played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Dr. Robert Pinsker sends details of this interesting piano instruction folio titled, PIANO HANDBOOK on BOOGIE WOOGIE, BLUES and BARRELHOUSE by J. Lawrence Cook, which was published in 1944. |
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GET HAPPY played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Roger Richard sends the following article titled: “Frog-I-more Rag” by Roy J. Carew, which was published in The Jazz Record magazine, dated October 1947, No. 59, page 12. |
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CHINA BOY played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Duncan Schiedt, renowned jazz photographer, author and historian sends the following breathtaking black-and-white photographs, which he took of J. Lawrence Cook and others at the Imperial Industrial Co., New York in 1949. Duncan had gone along to ask J. Lawrence Cook about his memories of ‘Fats’ Waller, whose biography Ain’t Misbehavin’ he was then researching. |
L. Performing and recording an arrangement direct onto the master roll using the step-perforator and recording piano unit. [AR 1] L. Using a suction pump to keep the perforator mechanism clean for optimal operation. [AR 1] © 2005 Duncan Schiedt |
L. Another view of J. Lawrence Cook performing and recording an arrangement direct onto the master roll using the step-perforator and recording piano unit. [AR 1] L. Checking the paper that feeds into the twin production perforator. [AR 1] © 2005 Duncan Schiedt |
STOMPIN’ AT THE SAVOY played by J. Lawrence Cook |
From his vast collection of sheet music memorabilia, ‘Perfessor’ Bill Edwards sends this 1949 sheet music cover of THE OLD PIANO ROLL BLUES. Lawrence (Piano Roll) Cook is featured on the cover, along with a number of other notable artists. |
THE OLD PIANO ROLL BLUES played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Abbey Records, a small record company located at 418 W. 49th Street, New York City, was the creation of Peter Doraine and was his attempt to become a major player in the world of the Rhythm & Blues independent record companies during the late 1940s. In March 1949, Abbey discovered what they were looking for in terms of publicity, credibility and success. It came from a surprising source.
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In 1949 J. Lawrence Cook was contracted to make music rolls, which would appear on 78-r.p.m. Abbey Records. An exploratory list, compiled by Mike Montgomery, appears in Volume 5 of The Billings Rollography. [BR] Matrix G-927 Abbey #15042 Matrix G-928 Abbey #15042 |
THERE’S A MAN IN MY LIFE played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Brian Goggin sends the following article from the New York Age, dated Saturday, 22nd November 1952, Vol. 73, No. 37, page 4, columns 1—4 and page 11, column 1. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from The Kingston Daily Freeman, dated Wednesday, 17th December 1952, page 21, columns 1—2. |
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Julian Dyer and Denis Hall send details of the following James P. Johnson piano rolls recordings, which appeared on a 1954 London LP record. |
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ROSETTA played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from The Leader-Herald, dated Saturday, 14th May 1955, page 4, column 7. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends details of the following J. Lawrence Cook music rolls, which appeared on a 1955 Cadence EP record — Cadence CEP 1003X. |
In 1955 Cadence Records released a 7-inch extended play record titled: POPULAR FAVORITES ON THE PLAYER PIANO MELODY OF LOVE — CRAZY OTTO MEDLEY — BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT — SINCERELY — TWEEDLE DEE — HEARTS OF STONE — HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE — OPEN UP YOUR HEART
Not everyone owns a player-piano. Not everyone wants to own one. But now, with this album, everyone who owns a record player can enjoy the music that comes from this one. CADENCE RECORDS INC., NEW YORK, N.Y. NOTES BY AL “Jazzbo” COLLINS |
WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends details of the following J. Lawrence Cook music rolls, which appeared on a 1959 Mercury LP record. |
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BASIN STREET BLUES played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following obituary notice for Max Kortlander from The New York Times, dated Thursday, 12th October 1961, page 29, column 5. |
MAX J. KORTLANDER, Max J. Kortlander, composer of popular songs and a manufacturer of piano rolls, died yesterday in the office of the Imperial Industrial Company, 781 East 136th Street, the Bronx. His age was 71. |
CROSSTOWN played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from the Recreation column of the TIME magazine, dated 22nd June 1962, Vol. LXXIX, No. 25, page 76, columns 1—3. |
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Lisa Fagg, granddaughter of J. Lawrence Cook, sends the following photographs, which are from the collection of his daughter, Annizella Cook Fugate. |
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Julian Dyer, bulletin editor of the Player Piano Group, sends the following photograph, which is from the collection of Jack Shaylor. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends an interesting article, which was published in the May 1966 issue of EBONY magazine, pages 125—128. |
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I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends details of a music folio titled: GEORGE M! : Player Piano Book of Ten George M. Cohan Hits with Lyrics, Styled in “Player Piano” Arrangements by J. Lawrence Cook. Laurence Rosenthal, in the foreword, presents a tribute to the skill of J. Lawrence Cook and his command in the field of music roll arranging. |
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YOUR FEET’S TOO BIG played by J. Lawrence Cook |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends this feature article from the New York Daily News, dated Thursday, 6th June 1968, page 59, column 1. |
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Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following article from the Watertown Daily Times, dated Wednesday, 12th April 1972, page 4, columns 3—7. |
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In the early part of 1974 I was invited to provide the musical entertainment in the Senior Common Room at Aston University in Birmingham. At this informal gathering I featured many of Lawrence’s music rolls. The evenings music was recorded by a friend and we forwarded a cassette tape to Lawrence. |
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On the 28th September 1974, the Musical Box Society International held their Silver Anniversary Convention in The Marriott Hotel, Saddle Brook, New Jersey. J. Lawrence Cook was the “Guest of Honor” at this event. Ken Vinen, a member of MBSI, had the opportunity to meet up with Lawrence and they dined together. The MBSI published a special hard cover Silver Anniversary book of several hundred pages, and Lawrence signed the flyleaf of Ken’s book. A fellow MBSI member took the photograph of Lawrence and Ken. |
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SWEET LORRAINE played by J. Lawrence Cook |
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Rather than import standard blank rolls, I bought several rolls of 90g sm tracing paper 1 metre wide and 30 metres long. I then asked a specialist paper merchant to cut the paper into 3 sections precisely 11¼ inches wide. |
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Karl Ellison sends the following article from the Buffalo Courier-Express, dated Friday, 27th June 1975, page 8. |
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In my next letter to Lawrence I mentioned that I had been invited again to provide the musical entertainment in the Senior Common Room at Aston University and also stage a full concert in the Centre For The Arts. |
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Following my November 1975 Concert at Aston University, I wrote to Ramsi Tick at QRS requesting that the “Celebrity Vault” be updated, with additions of rolls by Morton. I did receive a reply from him, which is shown below. |
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J. Lawrence Cook died on Friday, 2nd April 1976. His daughter Annizella sent me the following Memorial Cards. I feel very honoured to have known him and to have shared a common interest of arranging music rolls. In my estimation he made a tremendous contribution to American music. |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following obituary notice for J. Lawrence Cook from The New York Times, dated Monday, 5th April 1976. |
J. LAWRENCE COOK, J. Lawrence Cook, sometimes known as Piano Roll Cook because of his career as an arranger, composer and maker of the rolls for player pianos, died of a heart attack Friday at his home, 57 Esplanade Street, Mount Vernon, N.Y. He was 76 years old. |
Prof. Alan Wallace sends the following obituary notice for J. Lawrence Cook from the Music Educators Journal, dated November 1976, Vol. 63, No. 3, page 19, column 1. |
Composer-pianist J. Lawrence Cook died April 2, 1976, in Mt. Vernon, New York. In addition to his compositions in both the popular and symphonic areas, Cook was known for having made nearly twenty thousand piano roll recordings in the four decades that began in 1920. A writer-member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Cook was seventy-six. |
Lisa A. Fagg, eldest granddaughter of J. Lawrence Cook, sends personal memories of her grandfather. |
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Bob Berkman, Chief Operating Officer of QRS Music Rolls Inc., sends this outstanding tribute to J. Lawrence Cook. |
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Anthony J. Romano sends this outstanding tribute to J. Lawrence Cook, together with memories of his time with Lawrence at the U.S. Post Office, and a visit to the Imperial Industrial Company in the Bronx, New York City. |
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International jazz pianist and Jelly Roll Morton devotee Butch Thompson, sends this outstanding article, which pays tribute to J. Lawrence Cook’s transcribing skills. |
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KUDOS |
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please e-mail Mike Meddings if you can add any additional documented information about J. Lawrence Cook |
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