Dear Mr. Babit,  I read with delight the letter you sent to MMD
concerning your style and methods used when you were making piano
rolls.  You give a first-hand look at what went on during the years
you knew Mr. Cook and others who made the rolls that I and many others
still enjoy today.

I have many of the rolls you made for Aeolian and QRS over the years,
and consider them some of my favorites.  I am always seeking the one
or two "Hi Babit" rolls I may have missed or do not have!  Call it
your "big hand" style or whatever, your rolls consistently accomplish
the playing of the melody with the appropriate "add-ins" resulting in
a song that sounds like you are sitting there playing it, just for me!

Many younger player piano enthusiasts I know cite the style that piano
rolls were made in (during the 1990s and up until production slowed
and stopped) as part of the final death blow to making any more new
rolls.  While the music of the 1990s and up was indeed different in
melodies and rhythms, there seemed to be an attempt to capture the
entire group's playing on only one instrument -- the piano.  That
resulted in way too many notes being "arranged" on the piano in an
attempt to create a modern or pop feel, and it fell short of the
quality playing talent of the artist, and a lot of "less than
desirable" rolls being made.

I can only hope that if QRS or someone else were to begin manufacturing
new piano rolls again, you would be one of the first they call to make
some of the quality rolls that actually sound like the artist playing
the music.

Sincerely,
Robbie Jacob
Newport News, Virginia
erjacobjr@verizon.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ Hi Babit plays QRS 10-476, "Remembering You" ("All in the Family"
 [ closing theme) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDctw4mFFlg 
 [ See also his live performance at the 1998 AMICA Convention, at
 [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TN-fT7zlWg 
 [ -- Robbie