Curt Prina, born on August 31, 1928, in Zürich, Switzerland, was a versatile jazz and entertainment musician skilled on piano, organ, vibraphone, trumpet, and trombone. At 16, he became the youngest big-band leader in Switzerland, and in 1946, he toured Spain with the Bob Huber Orchestra. He played piano and arranged for the Fred Böhler Sextet in 1948 and led his own jazz combo from 1950 to 1952, which was taken over by Paul Hintermann. In 1952, at age 24, he joined the Hazy Osterwald Sextet as a musician, composer, and arranger, remaining until 1978, while also recording with Dennis Armitage's Quartet and accompanying Joe Turner. After 1978, Prina pursued a solo career as an organist, performing internationally and touring with Jimmy Smith in 1980. Curt Prina passed away on May 18, 2018, in Eltze, Germany.
