Biography
Fritz Schulz-Reichel (July 4, 1912 – February 14, 1990) was a German jazz and pop pianist.
He developed an unusual technique where he played the melody of a tune with the left hand and the rhythm with the right hand.
Read full biography ↓
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.
Schulz-Reichel continued to perform live and on film, and remained a popular jazz favorite in Germany for many years.
"Crazy Otto" is referenced in the song "Ramble on Rose" written by Robert Hunter and performed by the Grateful Dead.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.