Manfred Kniel (born 1951) is a German drummer,

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

and composer of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...

Life and career

Kniel studied percussion at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart until 1976 and has been a professional musician since 1976. From 1973 to 1984, he was a drummer in the " Crew" and in the "Jazz Inspiration Orchestra". In addition, he belonged to the quartet of Lauren Newton, whose album ''Timbre'' (re-released as ''Filigree'') was awarded the

Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...

. From 1984 to 1996, he toured with 's quartet, with ''Mah-Jong SaxString'', ''Jazz it'' and with his own formations ''Sweet Emma'' and ''Human Music Quintet'' (HuMus). Between 1984 and 1997, he also took part in more than 30 musical productions under the direction of Nicolas Kemmer. He also belonged to Friedemann's ensemble at the (''Aquamarin Orchester in Concert''). In 2003, Kniel founded the internationally acclaimed group ''The Reduction Quartet'', which, like the duo ''Fifty-Fifty'', which he forms with Ekkehard Rössle, aims to play a

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

influenced jazz. With the cellist Fried Dähn and the sound artist he formed the ''Ensemble Klangstein'', in which he played an

Orchestral percussion Orchestral percussion refers to the various percussion instruments used in an orchestral setting. It may also refer to the act of playing such instruments in an orchestral style. Many music schools and conservatories offer training for musicians i ...

made of water and stone (?). In 2008, he performed with this project on Stefan Raab's

TV Total ''TV total'' is a German late-night television comedy talk show which originally aired from 8 March 1999 to 16 December 2015 on ProSieben, hosted, created and produced by entertainer Stefan Raab. Following a six-year hiatus, it was revived on ...

, and in 2009 at the TFF Rudolstadt. Since 1984, Kniel has been a lecturer at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart in the field of percussion and jazz rhythm.

Recording

* Reduction Quartet ''Low Down Music'' (2004, with

Mike Svoboda Michael Svoboda (born 1960) is an American composer and trombonist who lives and works in Switzerland. Life Born in Guam, Svoboda grew up in Chicago and studied composition and conducting at the University of Illinois. In 1981, he came to German ...

, , )Manfred Kniel and his Reduction Quartet: Low Down Music
on All About Jazz

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kniel, Manfred German jazz drummers German jazz composers 1951 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people)

Life and career

Recording

Further reading

References

External links