Manfred Kniel: Manfred Kniel and his Reduction Quartet – LOW DOWN MUSIC

Satirical comments on the CD
LOW DOWN MUSIC

You will hear the “Reduction Quartet” with eight LOW DOWN compositions. LOW DOWN MUSIC is a clear, uncompromisingly reduced, independent musical language that incorporates the basic messages of all possible types of music. LOW DOWN MUSIC is the music of enlightened simplicity, of cheerful failure - it is music from me.

Manfred Kniel

The first title citizen music - in American Burgermusi - is dedicated to the successful German musician, composer and producer Dieter Bohlen. Over a rigid, uniform drum/bass foundation, the wind instruments repeat old Italian operatic-sounding melody fragments. In the middle of the piece, the trumpeter is allowed to briefly interrupt the monotonous severity of the Bürger- or Burgermusi with a whimsical free jazz interlude (parody?) for music-pedagogical reasons.

The second title Naive, deep and horribly beautiful however, is dedicated to our trombonist Mike Svoboda. Mike works closely with the star composers of the contemporary music scene. Difficult, highly complex trombone concertos were/are written especially for him. The Low Down Trombone Concerto Naive, deep and horribly beautiful however, is (monkey)simple. The theme is built of three tones. The accompanying motif of the trumpet consists of 2 (in words: two) different pitches. In addition, there is a steadily reducing simple drum/bass pattern. That's it. Once the soloist has mastered the theme, he can play whatever he wants. Good luck.
PS: I played the prelude to the LOW-DOWN trombone concerto on a metallophone that my Swabian grandfather made during the war. Shortly before his death - he was already on his deathbed - he gave me the instrument. For 10 DM.

The third title miss blue is dedicated to an Irish landowner, in whose house my wife and I were allowed to spend a wonderful, quirky holiday. The aged, educated, distinguished lady lived almost exclusively on biscuits and whiskey.

The fourth title scandal I wrote for a person whom I already know quite well, but who I would like to get to know better. I dedicated the piece to myself. More is nothing more to say.

The fifth title Free 'n' open I dedicated it to our bass players. American southern “down home feeling” mixes with the uplifting and comforting sounds of a Salvation Army brass band.

The sixth title police is an attempt at a musical comic strip. The comic heroes, two high-ranking police chiefs, meet regularly at a secret location to fool around. Quote: “This is the only way this job can be endured in the long term.” There is a dramatic break in the middle of the composition. Without warning you find yourself in the reality of a television political discussion show. Two Euro MPs are arguing heatedly. Topic: Will Germany be defended in the Hindu Kush, yes or no? Back to our comic heroes. The police officer duo continues to fool around. Shit job, indeed.

The seventh title dirge is a mixture of African polymetry and a Czech polka. The dirge is written in a major key. Africans lament in major, Europeans in minor!!!!! I have no idea if that statement is true. I say it anyway.

The eighth title snowfields II has something to do with my childhood or my early youth. Back then I was first at the CVJM and later at the Boy Scouts. We sang “great” songs, so-called travel songs, around the campfire. One song remains in my memory to this day. In the refrain of When the colorful flags are waving - later we sang the song when we were drunk - it says: "Snow fields flash - shine from a distance - lands sink - in the sea of ​​clouds". The LOW-DOWN title emerged from this memory snowfields II. The music of snowfields II is a mixture of travel song and punk rock, so-called travel punk. I dedicate this title to the punk group “Die Toten Hosen”.