Voices of the Press D.i.r.k. CD 16 mm

An impressive language of time-less forms that goes beyond ephemeral trends –
these are the virtues of Witzel and his current partners in their new trio. (
Jazzthetik 09/10 )

The trio swings effortlessly– at times the music has the elegance of a dance…In
the title piece "16mm" inspired by an Antonioni movie, Witzel combines the
bass sclarinet with the doubled flute. Beware – you won’t get the song out of
your ear as it floats around like a small winged earworm. (Hamburger Tageblatt
29.7.10 )

... Slightly deviating from the trio's name, Reiner Witzel, Christian Scheuber and
Markus Schieferdecker move around in the “red Bullseye” presenting the
audience with a well-balanced jazz potpourri with both classic and
contemporary elements.

…first-class Jazz with substance but most of all tune and depth. If I were asked
to describe the timbre of “16 mm” in a single word, no doubt it’s the word
“atmosphere” that comes to mind – because this is exactly what the “Three in
the Red Circle” create, clearly and unmistakably. If you allow yourself to get
involved, you will find yourself in midst of an inspiring retro thriller full of
suspense and no return. (Soultrain 07/10 )

....in “16 mm“ the members of the trio pass their sounds to one another in a
way that is both casual and precise. (Saarbrücker Zeitung 2010)
Whereas images of a movie remain the same no matter how often you watch it
the only difference being the attention given to details of the scenes, the CD
“16 mm“ creates new images of the mind each time you listen to it. (RP -
Online 6/2010 )

...the first CD of the trio produced in the series of the “Jazz-Schmiede”
promises not only timelessness but also exciting music. Witzel slips into various
roles, not only by playing the saxophone and the flute, but also by modulating
the voluminous sound of the alto saxophone in many different ways. (Barbara
Steingiesser )

Why heading for places far, far away if there is such great jazz right next door?
.....each one of the members of the trio a highly accomplished musician and
together masters of concentration: the 14 songs of the CD with prologue and
epilogue devised as a concert album and definitely a very well-rounded piece of
work are intriguing because of the attentive interplay between the musicians – a
great way of interaction which not all trios are capable of. Although at times the
saxophone is dominating because of its powerful sound, Witzel leaves the same
amout of space to his partners for them to fully express themselves just as
much as he does. (Fuldaer Zeitung 07/10 ).

Highly emotional and perfectly staged by Witzel and his co-players. A Jazz feast
produced by “Jazzschmiede“ worth listening to. ( Diabolo _ Mox)

... The “Three“ offer breezy, transparent trio music in the tradition of modern
Jazz: lively, swinging trio music which captures the audience due to its exciting
conciseness. Reiner Witzel is one of the unsung heroes of the German jazz
scene. The way Witzel’s own compositions such as the breakneck speed stopand-
go song “Bushwick 2 a.m.” link to classic pieces such as John Coltrane’s
“Lonnies Lament “ (which sounds unusually light) and the ever-green classic
“What is this thing called Love ?”, equally presented at an unusually fast pace,
bear witness to the top class of this band. (Mannheimer Morgen 20.8.10 )

...However, the eleven original songs and three standard jazz pieces of the
album do not rely on clichés of some kind of “imaginary soundtrack“. On the
contrary: The three musicians work creatively in their trio lineup without a
harmony instrument…which makes the music remain human. When listening to
the music you feel that the three musicians of “Drei im roten Kreis“ (Three in
the Red Circle) have mastered the art of scaling down orchestral film music to a
trio setting and at the same time have the music of the film accompany their
songs right under the surface. (Jazzthing 9/2010)

In Mal Waldron‘s “Soul eyes“ for example, Witzel chisles every single sound of
the theme like a sculptor, and from the falling fourth of the opening he gains
momentum for the improvisation of loops that become increasingly wider,
whereas in “Hafenhunde” (Harbour Dogs) he swaps smoothness for friction,
bending sounds and roughening up sound spaces.

.....the CD 16 mm creates new images in each and every listener. This truly is
great Cinema!
The bassist Markus Schieferdecker .... and the drummer Christian Scheuber ....
are ideal partners for Witzel to launch the ambitious trio project.
....because they are strong, unconventional, bold characters who can play quite
aggressively. These are important assets for a trio, which needs substance to be
lively and maintain suspense and excitement. ( Jazzpodium 9/2010)1