Karl Ratzer Quartet / Gumbo Dive
Karl Ratzer, born in 1950, has his roots in the rock music of the sixties and seventies. Having been a rising star in the Viennese rock scene he soon felt that advanced rock music could not express what he really wanted to play. Thus, he began to develop his own individuality and identity during a longer stay in the United States. He now plays in a contemporary mainstream style having absorbed all musical experiences from bebop to Coltrane.
Ratzer is extremely versatile on his new album, the first record with an own group after six years. Delicious and sensitive improvisations with long and almost singable melodies (listen to Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe In Spring" and Fritz Pauer's "At The Fireplace" respectively) alternate with funky fusion lines influenced by the blues and the heritage of his own rock period, as it can be heard in "Turn It Around" or "Gumbo Dive". By the way, Gumbo is a very tasty and spicy dish; this album is full of spicy ingredients, too: it comprises various styles of the past two decades and shows improvisations of artistically high standard. Nevertheless, there are pleasant but strong limitations in its contents following empirical principles that commercial success does not exclude musical quality. Karl Ratzer, one of Austria's greatest jazz musicians, demonstrates his ability on this album, and one could think of George Benson's words: “I’m not here to educate my audience but to play for them".
Karl Ratzer's colleagues also play an important role. Fritz Pauer, one of Europe's most brilliant pianists and wellknown in the jazz world, contributed two compositions written under the sad impression of Leo Wright's decease, "Sermon" and "Celebration ". Paulo Cardoso (b) and Mario Gonzi (dr) take care of a steady beat and make the music a living event. "Gumbo Dive" is a record which should be played over and over.
Personnel: Karl Ratzer (g, voc.), Fritz Pauer (p, kb), Paulo Cardoso (b), Mario Gonzi (dr).
Tracklisting:
1. Turn It Around (Karl Ratzer) (3:48)
2. Ann Can (Karl Ratzer) (4:44)
3. At The Fireplace (Fritz Pauer) (4:42)
4. Fallin' The Rise (Karl Ratzer) (4:01)
5. Stazzy BO (Karl Ratzer) (5:55)
6. Sermon (Fritz Pauer) (4:08)
7. Celebration (Fritz Pauer) (3:27)
8. Agoque (Karl Ratzer) (6:38)
9. Ornella (Paulo Cardoso) (5:39)
10. If I Should Lose You (R. Rainger – L. Robin) (3:24)
11. Incerts (Karl Ratzer) (8:32)
12. Listen Folks (Paulo Cardoso) (4:13)
13. Gumbo Dive (Karl Ratzer) (4:04)
14. April In Paris (V. Duke – E. Y. Harburg) (2:28)
15. You Must Believe In Spring (M. Legrand) (5:39)
16. Soft Spoken (Karl Ratzer) (3:52)

On "Celebration" add Fritz Pauer, Paulo Cardoso, Mario Gonzi (voc).
Recorded at Soundborn Studios, Vienna, June 1991.