Erwin Segner, one of the members of Gus Friedrich's Fredericksburg Knutsch Band, brought out his accordion for an impromptu serenade at the Wellness Center pool. The distinct sound of the Knutsch Band was a staple at Fredericksburg events, playing German standards to entertain the crowds. Photo by Phil Houseal

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Knutsch Band

by Phil Houseal
Oct 11, 2006

It must have been in the early 1980s during an event on the Marktplatz that I first heard a distinct type of music I hadn't heard back on the farm. I followed my ears to the shadow of the Vereins Kirche. I listened, fascinated, as five or six older fellows sat in a semicircle and played old-fashioned squeezeboxes. Songs like Fraulein, the Schottische, Put Your Little Foot spilled out of the button accordions.

The leader of the group seemed to notice my interest, so, during a break, he came over to introduce himself.

That's how I met Gus Friedrich and how I discovered the knutsch.

Friedrich was founder and leader of the Fredericksburg Knutsch Band. The group no longer exists, but its living members were honored in July, 2003 during the 40th Night In Old Fredericksburg.

Lynette Cornehl, Gus Friedrich's daughter, was kind enough to fill me in on some of the background.

The group had its genesis in 1976. Not long before, Friedrich had begun playing his knutsch at local nursing homes, even though he hadn't played anything in more than 30 years. His brother, Edmund, and friends Alois Ersch and Dick Streit joined him. In 1976, they were asked to perform at the Stonewall Peach Jamboree. Gus's wife, Ruby, stitched up some red, white, and blue vests and the group performed old-fashioned German music as "The Squareheads."

The band became a fixture at Hill Country events. They were joined by two more Friedrich brothers - Elgin and Heinrich - along with Gene Hartmann, Alois Jenschke, Curtis Hahne, Boise Novian, Andrew Langehennig, Erwin Segner, Bruce Jordan, Clarence Cornehl, Jack Evers, Marvin Deckert, and Richard Kasper. Not overly fond of being called "Squareheads," they changed the group's name to The Fredericksburg Knutsch Band.

The knutsch is an instrument that has found its way into the music of many cultures (According to a native source, "knutschen" means "smooching" in German. Since a smooch involves a hug or squeeze, the word knutsch became slang for squeezebox.) In Fredericksburg it is most associated with German polkas and waltzes, but the same instrument can squeeze out norteno, tejano, gypsy, cajun, or zydeco tunes. It is impossible to characterize the sound, but there is no doubt it is infectious.

Erwin Segner played in the band from 1991-2002. Segner doesn't recall exactly when he first tried the accordion, but he does remember getting one from Sears-Roebuck for $15 as a teenager. Like many of the old-time musicians I've interviewed, Segner set his music aside for family and career, but picked it up again when he retired in 1988.

"I asked my wife what happened to my accordion," he said. "She told me it was still up in the closet. It wasn't, so I bought a new one."

Soon Friedrich called Segner and asked him to join the group.

"I said, 'When do we practice?'" Segner recalled. Friedrich told him, "We're not going to practice. You just come on down and follow me!" None of these guys could read a lick of music, so they played all the standard tunes by ear.

"Did I enjoy it! Yes, sir. I really did, and would have loved to continue the band after Gus died, but nobody wanted to," Segner said, adding, "And I don't like to play alone."

It was one of the unique and memorable sounds of Fredericksburg, one we don't hear any more.

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