Fritz Schulz-Reichel
Encyclopedia
Fritz Schulz-Reichel was a German jazz
and pop pianist.
Schulz-Reichel's father was a classical musician, and he began playing piano at the age of six. He developed an unusual technique where he played the melody
of a tune with the left hand and the rhythm
with the right hand.
While he trained to be a concert pianist, he chose a career in pop music, playing light jazz and pop tunes. He invented a device called the Tipsy Wire Box, which could be attached to a piano to make it sound like an out-of-tune barrelhouse upright. (Another interpretation is that "Tipsy Wire Box" was a slang expression for the piano itself, which was merely "detuned"; that is, one of the three strings that make up each note of the main section of the piano is slightly flatted, giving the piano the characteristic sound.)
In 1953 he adopted the moniker Schräger Otto (Crazy Otto), and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon
. His tunes became hits in Germany, France, England, and America; his albums were released on Decca
and MGM
in the U.S.
In 1955, American musician Johnny Maddox
made a medley of his songs, entitled "The Crazy Otto Medley
"; this went to #2 on the U.S. charts, and in the U.S. both Reichel and Maddox were subsequently known as "Crazy Otto", to some confusion.
Schulz-Reichel continued to perform live and on film, and remained a popular jazz favorite in Germany for many years.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and pop pianist.
Schulz-Reichel's father was a classical musician, and he began playing piano at the age of six. He developed an unusual technique where he played the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
of a tune with the left hand and the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
with the right hand.
While he trained to be a concert pianist, he chose a career in pop music, playing light jazz and pop tunes. He invented a device called the Tipsy Wire Box, which could be attached to a piano to make it sound like an out-of-tune barrelhouse upright. (Another interpretation is that "Tipsy Wire Box" was a slang expression for the piano itself, which was merely "detuned"; that is, one of the three strings that make up each note of the main section of the piano is slightly flatted, giving the piano the characteristic sound.)
In 1953 he adopted the moniker Schräger Otto (Crazy Otto), and recorded for Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
. His tunes became hits in Germany, France, England, and America; his albums were released on Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and MGM
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
in the U.S.
In 1955, American musician Johnny Maddox
Johnny Maddox
Johnny Maddox is a ragtime pianist and collector of ragtime memorabilia.His interest in the era of ragtime and blues was fueled by his Aunt Zula Cothron. She played ragtime piano at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, and taught Johnny to play...
made a medley of his songs, entitled "The Crazy Otto Medley
The Crazy Otto Medley
"The Crazy Otto Medley" is a 1955 ragtime recording made by pianist Johnny Maddox.The song is actually a medley of several pieces of music originally recorded by the German comic performer Fritz Schulz-Reichel under the pseudonym of Otto der Schrage....
"; this went to #2 on the U.S. charts, and in the U.S. both Reichel and Maddox were subsequently known as "Crazy Otto", to some confusion.
Schulz-Reichel continued to perform live and on film, and remained a popular jazz favorite in Germany for many years.