I do not know what the meaning is of Q.R.S.  In "Pianola's" ("Player
Pianos), a book published by the Dutch Player Society (Amsterdam 1981)
the roll-factory Q.R.S. is rather often named.

In the book it is said that the Q.R.S. factory (in Buffalo) still is
working.  In 1980 they reactivated their old recording-piano.  Eubie
Blake did play on it at that time at the age of 97.  Other pianists
were Liberace, Earl Hines and George Shearing, as well as Max Morath.

A nice piece of history I would like to tell.  In 1921 the Q.R.S.
factory did get a new employee: J. Lawrence Cook.  He did play all
kinds of music, However, his strongest side was jazz, and he was a
master in imitating jazz-solo's, which he replayed on the recording
piano, after hearing them from the record.  So rolls do exist, where
the label gives you the impression: originally played by Teddy Wilson,
Art Tatum, Addy Heywood, and other pianists.  They never did play-in
rolls themselves!  They were all from the hands of J. L. Cook.

He also produced in the thirties amongst others a great number of rolls
in the style of Fats Waller.  They were also sold, no problem, under
the name "Fats Waller".  This was known by Fats Waller.  He did accept
it, because after 1930, he did not like it anymore to travel to the
factory for a couple of rolls.  Maybe he did not need the money
anymore?

So, if you meet a pre- World War II roll, on which Thomas "Fats" Waller
is named as the pianist, it is for sure that this roll is recorded by
J. L.  Cook.  Real Waller-rolls(from before 1930) carry the name of
Thomas Waller.  I guess it took time before Thomas grew so big that he
did get his nickname Fats.

Cook did not only play for Q.R.S.  Under nicknames he also played for
other brands.  So you might find his rolls under: QRS - J. L. Cook as
well as Sid Laney; Connorized - Broadway Rastus; United States - Eubie
Jones.  In the book is a very nice photograph, showing J. L. Cook,
playing the QRS recording piano.  The photograph was made, and offered
for free, by Harvey Roehl (Vestal Press).

Jan Kijlstra