Ratzer - Occasion (2019)

You do not have to say many things about Karl Ratzer - for decades the Viennese guitarist has been one of the best in the world. In the 60s of the last century, he began to shape Austrian rock history with formations such as The Slaves, Charles Ryder's Corporation, C-Department or Gipsy Love, before moving to the US and jazz. Today he is the Grandsigneur of the local scene.

The composer and double bass player Peter Herbert is one of the most sought after and most competent musicians in Austria. He is on stage around the world as a solo artist and band musician at around 100 concerts a year. The "most extravagant outsiders in the string quartet game", the four cellists of the formation eXtracello - Edda Breit, Melissa Coleman, Margarethe Herbert and Gudula Urban - cross the musical epochs in unbroken curiosity and vitality, from the Renaissance to jazz / pop / rock to classical modernism. Own compositions and improvisations are not only part of the program, but also homage to the diversity of the musicians. In early 2019, the "somewhat different string quartet" released its second CD "Catch The Cat".

Now the charismatic guitarist & soulful singer Karl Ratzer wants to know it again. After working with his international septet ("Underground System"), after an acclaimed recording with his superb trio ("My Time"), after his latest work with Johannes Enders and his own Karl Ratzer quintet, he now enters chamber music terrain - with top-class string colleagues ,

Christoph Huber, head of the Viennese jazz club "Porgy & Bess" puts it this way: "Karl Ratzer, Peter Herbert & eXtracello are a wonderful collective, far from any clichés that jazz musicians sometimes cling to and are not easy to get rid of. It is not the modern classic for discussion, but the classical modernity from the perspective of a jazzaffinen musician attitude, as it is in concert halls probably rather rare to hear (but the more should be heard!). Detached from the strict "occidental" academicism, the six musicians walk on dreamlike paths in the direction of a musical meta-level, which has nothing to do with strenuous or even troubled formalism, but rather with the expression of a light-footed and natural musical conversation and a vigorous view of genre "The best is yet to come!"

Of course, it is not just an opportunity, an opportunity, but also an experiment, an artistic test of courage, a genre and cross-border venture. Live (and partly also on the planned album) meet Baroque classical music on folk songs, funk, but above all on Ratzer's compositions, some of them first published and specially arranged for this CD by Peter Herbert, Margarethe Herbert and Melissa Coleman.

In his inimitable musical language, Ratzer reflects in his plays the great themes of life, moving with dreamlike security between heaven and earth. Rock fans can look forward to a memorable adaptation of the Fleetwood Mac classic "Oh Well".

Is that possible? Moreover, where the distinctive voice of Karl Ratzer and his virtuously played electric guitar encounter the fragility and seriousness of a cello quartet? It works together. And how. It is highly edifying to be able to experience such seasoned veterans like Ratzer and Peter Herbert in an animated, almost youthful interaction between man and woman, E and U, popular music and modern classical music. #

 "And anyone who has heard Karl Ratzer singing ballads understands what intuitive knowledge of the right tone in jazz can be." (Ljubisa Tosic, "Der Standard")