Once upon a time, pianos played themselves ‑‑  really.  Not necessarily with the style or verve or sophistication of an Art Tatum, Cy Walter, or Teddy Wilson, but with amazing mechanical ability nonetheless.

Such a phenomenon grew from the creation of what were called "piano rolls" ‑‑  rolls of continuous paper strategically perforated so as to permit the "reading" by the player piano of the "music" incorporated on the roll.  QRS Music, Inc., a leading manufacturer of piano rolls, transferred three of Cy's arrangements to the medium:  "The Blue Room"; "Penthouse Serenade"; and "Tea For Two".  Scans of these are featured here, with both the box labels identifying them and the start of each actual paper roll.

Bob Berkman, the President of QRS, kindly provided the photo below of a player piano, and also most generously "pumped" (to use the technical term) these three piano rolls of Cy's music on his player piano.  His recording of these songs is also offered for your enjoyment in midi format below.

Player pianos, in their original form, are largely a thing of the past, having been replaced by pianos with computerized replicas of the piano rolls employed in the Twentieth Century.  However, enthusiasts such as Warren Trachtman of Falls Church, Virginia, have been prodigiously transferring to digital media the player piano rolls of the past.  The rolls of Cy's music are also to be found on the transferred lists contained on Warren's website (www.trachtman.org), and Warren's transfers are included here also.