HAZY OSTERWALD

AND HIS SEXTET

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Hazy Osterwald is in Switzerland, next to William Tell, Swiss cheese and the Zurich Gnomes, the best known export, at least to the rest of mainland Europe.

The Hazy Osterwald Sextet, led by Hazy, a trumpet player, was the best known band in Switzerland, with hits and gigs in many other European countries, especially Germany, in the 1960s - 1980s. His major hit was "Kriminal Tango". Basically a Jazz band, they performed much middle of the road music, which did not at all times go down well with other members of the band, notably John the drummer; but money speaks volumes.

Hazy was a good friend of my late uncle Dr Helmut Noll, who had been working in Zurich for many years with a trading company dealing with the Soviet Bloc and the Far East. I spent a great deal of time in Zurich and was introduced to Hazy. He published the first 4 songs I had written. One of them was to be recorded by a young Swiss singer, but she, before the recording session took place, went off to marry a German Count, and the song never got to be recorded - and released; such is life.

I spent some time in Hazy's company, including a few days as a guest on a mini tour the band did in Switzerland and Germany. What a wonderful experience for a young man. Hazy also founded a string of nightclubs going under the name of Hazyland, and I recall many a fond moment spent in one of these.

I heard with sadness that Hazy died on 26th February 2012.