If it were not at least sometimes true, then the comparison with the age and quality of the wine (the older the better) would probably be a bit over-stretched, but it certainly applies in the case of Sir Karl Ratzer. Which, of course, does not mean that what he did as a young person was worse, but at most different, or perhaps one should replace the word „better“ with „sovereign, clarified, clearer, more soulful“ or something similar. Freed from various constraints and temptations (or his „demons“, as his wife Anna calls them), which did not make his life any easier, he wants to achieve success again in his mid-sixties. This fourth era of his career began with the recording of „You‘ve Changed“ with Peter Tuscher (2011), a wonderful recording of standards as a quintet. The title choice of this CD is also interesting, since it points to the unwavering self-confidence of the guitarist: it‘s not him, Ratzer, who has changed, but „You“, the others. Three years later he released the recording “Underground System” with those musicians who were to accompany him for the next few years: trombonist Ed Neumeister, saxophonist Johannes Enders, bassist Peter Herbert and of course Howard Curtis on drums. This sextet manifested the „new“ Ratzer, who, however, in the end literally reinvented himself with „My Time“ (2016), in a trio with Herbert and Curtis. „Ratzer plays jazz pieces as if they were Viennese songs,“ Samir H. Köck wrote as a headline in the „Presse“, a review of this ballad CD, and formulated the following closing conclusion: „Of the local people, only he can make American styles such as blues and jazz sound as if they had originated in Brigittenau. Terrific.” I can only second that! For the sake of completeness, we have to mention his current fantastic recordings: „Midnight Whistler“ with Johannes Enders (2016), „Tears“ (2017), „Occasion“ with Extracello (2019) and most recently his duo „Alone Together“ with Ed Neumeister (2021). So much for the musician Karl Ratzer. But there is of course also a person behind every artist, and he is undoubtedly a personality, the Sir or Professor Ratzer. Often rough on the outside, but he has a big heart on the inside. An authentic person who doesn‘t put on a show of his personality, whether on or off stage. A person whose language is music, for whom music is food or like the air to breathe, who would not be able to survive without music. An anecdote comes to mind. Karl Ratzer was also to be interviewed for the program „World Famous in Austria“, in P&B before a concert there. Cameras were set up in the music wardrobe and the editor made a real effort to elicit something useful from Karl, unsuccessfully – until Ratzer got up, took his guitar in his hand and played and sang. That‘s it, that‘s how he can express himself, that‘s his language! And now this wonderful compilation is available, lovingly compiled by Frank Kleinschmidt and Thorsten Scheffner, with tunes from albums that were released on Organic Music (“You‘ve Changed”, “Underground System”, “My Time” and “Tears”). A best-of album of the last decade, with originals like „Until You‘re Mine“ or „Down for R&B“ and „immortal“ standards like „Skylark“ or „Someone to Watch Over Me“. One line of text at the end: „Don‘t say I‘m late, it‘s my time“. He‘s right, Sir Ratzer!