UPDATE: 26.02.2026
Kniri 221 CIRCULAR-KNIRI TUNING
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Konzerte :
06.03.2026, Jazzy James, Dixie Jazz Club, Sargans 20:00
https://www.jazz-sargans.ch/
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10.03.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Rest. Schützen, Aarau
https://www.facebook.com/gasthofschuetzen/?locale=de_DE
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12.03.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Ladengasse, Ebikon , 20:00
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29.03.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Rest. "Klibeck Casino" , Kleinbasel , 10:30-13:00
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10.04. bis 20.04.2026 , Kniri und Jonas Knaus in New Orleans
Auftritte während dem French Quarter Festival mit Lee Floyd (banjo)
im Fritzel's Jazz Pub an der Bourbon Street
vor 30 Jahren mit Wendell Brunious im Fritzel's !
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23.042026, Dr. Wim's Jazz Affair, Rest. Pizzeria Corona, Freiburg-Littenweiler (DE) , 20:00
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26.04.2026, Bourbonstreet Jazzband, Ausstellung LUGA Konzert, Luzern
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08.05.2026, Blues West, Kultur Langhaus, Cham
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02.06.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Rest. Gehren, Erlinsbach
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12.06.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Jazznight , Wohlen
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17.06.2026, Bourbonstreet Jazzband, Jazz im Unterdorf, Weggis (nur bei schönem Wetter)
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19.06.2026, New Orleans Hot Shots, Marching Band, Altstadt-Fest Murten, abends
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20.06.2026, Riverstreet Jazzband, Jazzweekend Reinach (BL) 18:00 - 19:45
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21.06.2026, Crossroad, Auftritte am Bio Märt Zofingen 11:00-17:00
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04.08.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Rest. Gehren, Erlinsbach
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16.08.2026, Riverstreet Jazzband, Openair beim Gemeindehaus , Buchs bei Aarau
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21.08.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Alter Konsum, Bachstrasse 52, Suhr
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14.09.2026, Mississippi Stompers, Kreuzhofbar, Langenthal
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18.10.2026, Riverstreet Jazzband, Konzert Auenhalle in Rohr/Aarau, 11:00 -14:00
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Kniri Knaus
(born Peter Otto Knaus) is a legendary Swiss jazz and blues musician widely recognized
or his work with the cult band Pfuri, Gorps & Kniri and his innovative harmonica tunings.
Harmonica Innovations
Knaus developed specialized tunings to expand the melodic and harmonic possibilities of the 10-hole diatonic harmonica (blues harp)
without requiring complex techniques like overblows.
- Kniri 221 Tuning: A cyclical tuning based on a "2-2-1" interval pattern (Whole Step – Whole Step – Half Step).
- Versatility: It allows musicians to play in multiple related keys (such as Mixolydian and natural minor) and various chords (e.g., m7, dim, 7th) on a single instrument.
- Structure: It follows the Circle of Fourths, enabling more intuitive improvisation for jazz and blues.
- Circular-Kniri Tuning: A hybrid modification of the standard "Circular" (or Spiral) tuning.
- Hybrid Design: The lower half follows the standard circular scale, while the upper half uses the Kniri 221 pattern.
- Feature: Hole 9 (blow) and Hole 7 (draw) are tuned one semi-tone lower than a standard circular harp
to better accommodate jazz standards and blues scales.
Musical Career Highlights
- Pfuri, Gorps & Kniri: Famous for performing with household objects like garden hoses, watering cans, and trash bags.
They represented Switzerland at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest. - Traditional Jazz: member of the Riverstreet Jazzband (active since 1961), Mississippi Stompers and other Bands, where he plays trombone and harmonica.
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Luzerner Zeitung, Artikel vom 12.05.2025
