Just Like Crazy Otto...

If you are a Grateful Dead fan, then you know the line "Just like Crazy Otto, just like Wolfman Jack" from "Ramble On Rose." Well, we all know who Wolfman Jack is, but we might not all be familiar with Crazy Otto. His real name is Fritz Shulz-Reichel, and he was a pianist and composer. Earlier this month I found a Crazy Otto record at a used book store in Burlington, Massachusetts, and so of course had to pick it up. I've been turned on to a lot of different music because of the Grateful Dead, and this particular record is certainly among the more surprising. It contains some fun piano music, including an unusual rendition of "In The Mood," the song written by Joe Garland and popularized by Glenn Miller. I don't think I've ever heard a version quite like this before.