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Karlheinz Drechsel was a member of various Dresden bands
Photo: imago images
He founded the international Dixieland Festival Dresden and acted as a presenter for many years.
Now Karlheinz Drechsel is dead. He died on Monday in Berlin, as the Dixieland Festival announced through its spokesman Hendrik Meyer.
"Karlheinz Drechsel has hardly shaped our festival like anyone else for almost five decades. Interesting, exciting and with an almost infinite knowledge, he was able to incorporate almost everything that concerned old-time jazz in the world into his 'calling' as a moderator and author let ", wrote the festival in its obituary about him.
Lexical knowledge
Drechsel was born in Dresden.
As a drummer he was a member of various Dresden bands, in 1956 he drummed with the Elb Meadow Ramblers.
In East Germany, the studied cultural and drama scholar became known to a larger audience because he worked as a director for the GDR radio station and presented several jazz programs, such as "Jazz Panorama" and later "Die Jazznacht".
Since he always revealed lexical knowledge, the later moderator and co-founder of the Dixieland Festival was often called "Dr. Jazz" or "Jazz Pope" by his fans.
Out and about with Louis Armstrong
In 1965 Drechsel accompanied Louis Armstrong on his tour through the GDR as a moderator, tour guide and interpreter.
During the tour, Drechsel hardly left the US musician's side, he told SPIEGEL.
Two years later, Drechsel received a letter from Armstrong in which he thanked him for his commitment: "You were one of the very best presenters we have ever had on our show," the document read.
In 2004 Drechsel received the Federal Cross of Merit.
In the same year he was awarded the Dresden Medal of Honor.
Drechsel would have turned 90 on November 14th.
Now he's died.
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evh / dpa