Hazy Osterwald, born Rolf Erich Osterwalder on February 18, 1922 in Bern, Switzerland, was a Swiss musician, singer, and orchestra leader. He began his musical journey as a pianist and trumpeter, leading the school orchestra by age 17. In 1944, Osterwald formed an eight-piece combo with singer Kitty Ramon, marking his first significant band leadership role. He founded the Hazy Osterwald Sextett in 1949, which gained international recognition after performing at the Festival International de Jazz in Paris that same year. The sextet's hit "Kriminal-Tango" reached Number 1 in Swiss, Austrian, and German charts in 1959. Throughout the 1960s, they performed on the television show Lieben Sie Show?. Osterwald toured until 1979 under the name Hazy Osterwald Jetset. He died in Luzern, Switzerland, on February 26, 2012.
