About The Site
This website offers a cornucopia of
Cy Walter musical materials and memorabilia, as retained
by Cy Walter's family, and structured to allow visitors with
diverse interests to locate those items of particular interest
to them. Accordingly, if you are yourself a musician,
seeking Cy's wonderful arrangements and compositions in either
sheet music or recorded form, these may be readily found
under their respective chapter headings. Or, should
you be a student of musical history, and so more interested
in the documentary or pictorial images of the era of which
Cy was such a vibrant part, you may wish to turn to the sections
offering photographs, correspondence, Cy's mailing list,
articles, literary references, and the like.
As Cy Walter's son, I have worked
to organize, preserve, and archive the fascinating materials
relating to Cy Walter's career which were so presciently
saved by my mother and Cy's widow, Cam. In undertaking
this task, one thing quickly became apparent. This
was the reality that the sharing of these treasures with
those persons who knew (or knew of) Cy, and also with those
who did not (but would nonetheless enjoy them), was no simple
task. Launching this site has become a viable alternative
to distribution by word‑of‑mouth which will,
I hope, result in ready access to these materials for all
who would enjoy them. Many of the materials we have
are now offered here, but as time permits more will be added. Thus,
this site will, for many months to come, be a growing and
changing proposition. Feedback and contributions are
also welcome (whether in the form of historical insights,
memories, or the sharing of relevant materials). However,
despite the site's ".com" designation, this effort
is entirely non-profit. Although the Walter family freely shares all the content on this site, we ask that viewers observe all copyright laws of any material included herein.
I owe a debt of deep personal gratitude to Michael Feinstein,
performer and historical archivist extraordinaire. Michael's gracious support and encouragement have fueled my energies
in pursuing this project, but more importantly, a decade ago he made outreach to my mother, Cam Walter. Michael inquired of Cam as to what materials of Cy's music might be in her possession, suggesting that Cy's sheet music would be best filed with the Library of Congress where musicians and historians could find it. Although Cam did not then act on Michael's suggestion, a couple of years back she mentioned it to me and my path into exploring my father's musical legacy began. From that path has also grown an increasing awareness of the wonderful musical genre of which my father was a part. Though he could not then have known it, Michael's outreach was the catalyst for this personal growth, something for which I will always be grateful.
The birthing of this website was a
gradual one, and several friends deserve both recognition,
and the Walter family's deep gratitude, for their support
and contributions. First and foremost, tremendous thanks
and applause must go to Richard Behrens, a Lambertville,
New Jersey website designer and documentary film maker. Richard
initially proposed this site, and, without his countless
hours of voluntary efforts (of both a creative and drudgework
nature), it would not exist. The talent and perseverance
that Richard has brought to this project deserve far greater
compensation than the Walter family could possibly provide,
but, at the very least, this recognition, along with our
heartfelt thanks, are due.
Frank Behrens, a New Hampshire
based writer and teacher who often lectures on American popular
music, provided charming and fascinating notes on the genesis and history of many of the songs in the Sheet Music section.
Thanks
and recognition are also due to Eileen Parzek, a website
designer and graphic artist who so graciously assisted Richard
in creating the site's artwork and structure; to Chauncey Michaels for his unflinching encounters with Dreamweaver Templates and his uncanny indexing abilities; to Marc Reed for his ad hoc help in many areas of web development and graphic design; and to Roy Gandhi-Schwatlo for hosting the site.
Many technical thanks are also due to Andrew
Johnson of the State University of New York at Stony Brook,
whose generous assistance with the scanning of oversize materials
(such as record albums and enlarged photographs) have meant
that these are available to share. Our gratitude is
also due to Seth Winner, audio engineer (of Seth B. Winner Sound Studios, Inc., 2055 Whalen Avenue, Merrick, New York 11566-5320; 516-771-0028; SethBWinner@optonline.net), who has restored
and transferred to CD, from fragile record media, much of
Cy's rarest music (and is continuing this effort); to Roger
Schore, for retaining and sharing of bootlegged music of
Cy's; and to Russell MacKechnie, whose kind energies in transferring
bootlegged music of Cy's, from analog cassette to digital
CD format, has allowed these treasures to be enjoyed.
From a music, musical history, and personal perspective,
we would also be remiss if mention were not made of the contributions
of Chilton Ryan, Cy's lyricist and a dear friend; James Gavin,
a New York City author whose knowledge and writings on this
musical genre are incomparable; Mark Eden Horowitz, pianist
and Senior Music Specialist of the Library of Congress, whose
diligent research unearthed long‑forgotten Cy Walter
sheet music from the Library's vaults; and Alex Hassan, Peter Mintun,
and Frederick Hodges (each tremendously‑talented
pianists based in Falls Church, Virginia; New York City;
and San Francisco, respectively). These individuals'
respect for, and love of, Cy Walter's musical artistry have
served to keep his creative legacy alive; and in a very real
sense, this website is a tribute to their concrete suggestions
and support.
Finally, this website is ultimately
created, and dedicated, to honor those of Cy's family most
responsible for his legacy, in particular: his parents
(Raymond Walter, a professional singer, and Florence Greaves
Walter, whose signature triumph, as a piano teacher in Minneapolis
for over sixty years, was unquestionably her son's musical
talent and career); and his widow, Cam Walter LaGennusa,
without whose foresight these materials would not still exist
to be shared. With the unique perspective and knowledge
she possesses of Cy's career, Cam has also been the source
of numerous memories and ideas, and has given unstintingly
of her time and energy to ensure this project's fruition. As
a son, I have been truly blessed.
So, courtesy of the Walter family,
peruse, absorb, listen; and, above all, enjoy!
Mark
Walter
New York City 2006
