Klaus Doldinger and Passport

I remember trying several Passport records in the late 1970s: they were often in the "cut out" bins in the record stores that I haunted almost daily. These albums always had very interesting, professional-looking album covers. Once I tried one, I was hooked: I started buying more of them. Though no single album stands out as a favorite, it always seemed that each album had two or three songs that were impressive enough to keep me trying more, always hoping that the next album would be "that masterpiece" that I'd been missing--the one on which band-leader and jazz veteran Klaus Doldinger and his bandmates got everything right on every track. 

PASSPORT Passport - Doldinger (1971)

Klaus Doldinger's first release using the "Passport" moniker. Unfortunately, he would have to come up with a whole new lineup of musicians in order to produce his next album.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Klaus Doldinger / alto, soprano & tenor saxes, keyboards
- Jimmy Jackson / organ
- Olaf Kübler / tenor saxophone, flute
- Udo Lindenberg / drums
- Lothar Meid / bass guitar

1. "Uranus" (6:35) with the use of weird synthesizer sounds and multiple "chorus" saxophones in the lead, this one sounds futuristic--like something that would influence the next/new generation of German prog rockers (ELOY and ANYONE'S DAUGHTER are what immediately come to mind). Though I like the flutes as a complement to the rest of the sounds in the second motif, it's Udo Lindenberg's drumming that really holds my attention the most--that and the intriguing sound choices coming from Jimmy Jackson and Klaus Doldinger's keyboards. (8.75/10)

2. "Shirokko" (5:44) opening with Klaus's solo saxophone being fed through some delay, echo, and panning effects for a 55-second intro before the drummer and bass player breaks into a groovy 1960s jazzed (or funked)-up surfer music motif. Clavinet-like keyboard provides the R&B guitar-like rhythm play while multiple saxophones provide horn-section-like background fill. Some of Klaus and Olaf Kübler's saxes solo over the top as well as Jimmy Jackson's organ in the third and fourth. Excellent! The really superstar (besides Udo's smooth/relaxed drumming) is Lothar Meid's chill bass play. A top three song for me--probably my favorite. (9.125/10)

3. "Hexensabbat" (4:27) using the heavy organ and "clavinet" sound from The Court of the Crimson King and driving Hammond and saxophone makes this song a very welcome proggy-side of the "new" jazz-rock fusion medium. Klaus's saxophone play leans far more to the sounds we've been hearing for a few months from Britain's VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. Another top three song. (9/10)

4. "Nostalgia" (5:13) taking his cues from the great WAYNE SHORTER, Klaus has got to be one of the other first/early users of sound engineering effects on his saxophones. Nice, evenly-paced low key song.(8.75/10)

5. "Lemuria's dance" (4:37) and Klaus's pioneering way of using multiple saxophones to create his DON ELLIS-like wall of strings- and/or horn section-like back texture has also got to be pretty innovative (as well as perhaps nodding back to his big band days). Drummer Udo Lindenberg again impresses: big time! (8.875/10)

6. "Continuation" (9:53) a song that starts out with a spacey bucolic motif that develops very slowly and deliberately within its atmospheric spaciousness before the band winds up in the second half ramping things up to another VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR level of power: even going so far as to use similar sound palette and odd chord progressions. (17.5/20)

7. "Madhouse jam" (5:47) early MIROSLAV VITOUS/HERBIE HANCOCK/LARRY CORYELL-like  funk using a rather simple bass and chord progression to define the rhythm track while adding some rock-like instruments like rhythm guitar and breathy flute; the whole foundation is just too blues-rock simplistic. Even WAR or BRIAN AUGER are more sophisticated and multi-directional than this. (8.5/10)

Total Time: 42:16

88.125 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent representative of the directions of possibilities in early Jazz-Rock Fusion.

PASSPORT Second Passport (1972)

Klaus Doldinger's second album using the "Passport" moniker, for which he had to get an entirely fresh set of musicians to try to support his vision, his compositions, including two Americans, keyboard artist John Mealing and drummer Bryan Spring. This marks the beginning of bassist Wolfgang Schmid (later known as Wolfgang Schmid-Grandy)'s six-year, six album commitment to Klaus.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, electric piano, synthesizer
- John Mealing / electric piano, organ
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass guitar, 
- Bryan Spring / drums

1. "Mandragora" (3:46) very modern synth, clavinet, and electric bass noises open this one before drummer Bryan Spring and bassist Wolfgang Schmid align in an awesome cruisin' groove with clavinet right there with them. Though Klaus' multiple saxes present the main melody, it's his funky synthesizer that takes the first solo. In the third minute it's time for solo tenor sax. The melodies are okay, but it's the rhythm track that is so winning! (9.3333/10)

2. "Nexus" (5:23) here the rhythm section have some fun playing around with a wild game of tag before settling into a surprising R&B groove for Klaus to solo over while John Mealing plays around with his electric piano somewhere in the middle. Bassist Wolfgang Schmid and drummer Bryan Spring are playing like Titans (or monsters), as if they're in The Flintstones primal drum band--a theme that becomes even more pronounced in and throughout the fourth and fifth minutes. Not even Klaus' emotional soprano sax can take my attention away from this primal groove--not until the final 15 seconds when the band wind it down does the hypnotic effect fade. Nice! (9/10)

3. "Fairy tale" (7:32) gently echoing soprano sax notes float off into the mountain foothills while the gentle breeze tinkles the wind chimes and cymbals. Electric piano and bass notes join in slowly, transforming the porch-view into a trek into the foothills. Beautiful melodies issued by Klaus are apparently borrowed from a famous German folk song (which is even credited in the album's liner notes).  Pleasant Herbie Hancock-like pastoral electric piano play during John Mealing's solo in the fifth minute. How can people discount this artist's abilities?! There is so much feeling and nuance in his play (not all flash and flare). Klaus returns with his soprano sax in the sixth minute as the rhythm section tightens up a bit--but not too much: just raising the tension levels a notch or two--but then Klaus' hypnotic echoed-melodies convince everyone to back down again to the gentle support roles they initially exhibited. Nice song! (13.75/15)

4. "Get yourself a second passport" (4:03) another funky clavinet-led R&B opening and acceleration is enhanced noticeably by the wah-wah and volume pedal modified rhythm guitar. (Wolfgang?!?!) Nice rhythm play beneath Klaus' soprano sax and "flute" synth solos. Wolfgang is really on fire in the "Can't Get Next to You" third and fourth minutes. Klaus switches to multiple instruments on multiple tracks to issue the main melody. Pretty cool! (8.875/10)

5. "Registration O" (9:24) Opening like a kind of campy burlesque song, the bass and low-end heavy drums are reinforced by a low-end organ bass as Klaus blasts away rather wildly on his tenor sax. I find it interesting how Klaus has mixed the organ's bass pedal line as the most forward, highest volume track in the song. Synth "saw" solo in the fourth minute is followed by a searing organ solo. But the biggest surprise (and highlight) to this heavy, MAGMA-esque tune is bassist Wolfgang Schmid's very good wah-ed electric guitar solo in the fifth and sixth minutes--it's even rousing enough to rile Bryan Spring into some risky drumming. But, with the advent of the seventh minute, everybody congeals again to a uniform goal, allowing the main bass melody to carry everybody to the eighth minute where they devolve the song in order to break into a new up-tempo motif with a cruisin' groove similar to that of the album's opening song. This then plays out in a jam as John and Klaus express their unbound feelings through organ, electric piano, and sax. Weird but powerful and definitely memorable. (17.5/20)

6. "Horizon beyond" (6:46) a fairly straightforward composition that is made so dynamic and entertaining by Wolfgang and Bryan. Plus, the sax play on this one (soprano) is one of the better/more accessible ones (for me). Even John's Hammond organ solo in the fifth and sixth minutes is great (though, admittedly, made better by Bryan Spring's drumming and Wolfgang Schmid's matching bass play). Nice melodies coming from both Klaus and Wolfgang. (14/15)

7. "The cat from Katmandu" (4:38) opens with a bass-and-drums straightaway: and then the multi-track conglomeration of several of Klaus' saxes presenting the melody (which is also quite catchy). And the throbbing organ chords in the background add a ton to the groove--a groove that becomes rather trance-inducing to we on the dance floor! This is also a sound that previews the sound that American saxophonist David Sanborn becomes so well known for. (9.75/10)

Total Time: 41:32

Due to superior production attention and techniques, even in 1972 Passport was exhibiting sound far in advance of that of most record companies in the USA; the production value here sounds like something from 1975 or 1976! (I urge you to compare this album to other 1972 releases in the jazz, rock and prog world: you will be very hard-pressed to find anything to measure up to this one.) The band have Dieter Dierks and Jörge Scheuermann at Dieter's state-of-the art home-based recording studio in Stommeln as well as bandleader (and producer) Klaus Doldinger's almost anal-retentive attention to detail to thank for this.

The music, however, is often built around either 1) rather simple ideas and structures or 2) Klaus' fiery saxophone solos. Though there is no denying that Klaus is a very skilled saxophone player, his sound and style does absolutely nothing to help win me over into the crowd of saxophone fans. I'll even go further in saying that it is most often the work of his band mates that engages me despite my aversion to saxophone leads. While many reviewers find it difficult to find skill or accomplishment in the instrumental performances on this album, I find myself so impressed that I wonder if I'm listening to the same album these other reviewers are listening to. Drummer Bryan Spring and certainly bass player Wolfgang Schmid are very dynamic, engaging, even exciting to listen to, while keyboardist John Mealing is definitely no slouch. What are these other reviewers hearing/seeing that I'm missing? The sound recording is so clear and pristine that each musicians' contributions are fully on display; there can be no questioning their skill and talent--and with the knowledge of Klaus Doldinger's rather exacting expectations and standards, I find it hard to find fault in these performances: they're most likely doing exactly what Klaus has asked of them--and I hear a ton of creative inputs coming from each and every musician through each and every song!   

92.08 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of rockin' and funky Jazz-Rock Fusion that feels two to three years ahead of the curve on the historical J-R Fuse trajectory. The sound production alone is well-worth any prog-lover's attention and appreciation: You gotta hear it to believe it!

PASSPORT Hand Made (1973)

The core is finally solidified with drummer extraordinaire Curt Cress joining Klaus and uber-talented bass (and guitar!) player Wolfgang Schmid--a partnership that would result in five outstanding albums before Wolfgang would decide to move on. Here British keyboard player Frank Roberts serves as Klaus' ivory tickler. (Frank would provide some awesome skilled jazz-rock piano to such bands as Isotope, Joy, Real Thing, Jabula, Hugh Hopper, Atté, Gary Wingo, and Robert Wyatt over the course of the next 25 years.) 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Curt Cress / drums
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, electric piano, synthesizers, Mellotron
- Frank Roberts / electric piano, organ
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar

1. "Abracadabra" (7:20) dynamic, fast & furious music with so much going on from each of the wonderful musicians--and such amazing (as usual) sound engineering! Seriously: How is it that Klaus was so far ahead of the rest of the world in terms of sound engineering??? (14/15)

 
2. "The connexion" (5:33) slow, spacious, rather awkward plodding for the first two minutes. I get it: this is an approach that many of the early pioneers of J-R Fuse used in their early explorations of the landscape (Miles, Herbie, Wayne & Joe, in particular)--and Klaus and company do it well--with noteworthy skill and competence (especially Kurt), but it feels more like music made more to impress and test, not so much for listening enjoyment. (8.875/10)

3. "Yellow dream" (4:20) a song that shows the band trying to crosses over more into the realms of proggy and even heavy rock music. Interesting but feels a bit forced--especially the heavy rock "choruses." (8.75/10) 

4. "Proclamation" (2:39) another tune that feels more like the band's attempt to join the NEKTAR/SYNERGY/FOCUS side of progressive rock music. (8.875/10)

 
5. "Hand made" (9:26) is that the noise of a real live crowd? Does that mean the song was taken from a recording of one of the band's live performances? Regardless, this starts out with a very first incarnation Mahavishnu Orchestra palette and style but then smooths out into something more akin to Todd Rundgren 's Utopia or Grand Funk Railroad (the good stuff of both). It's a jam song in which organ, multiple (or chorused) tracks of saxes, and electric guitar play over the baseline electric bass and Fender Rhodes and synths. I know I've made songs over which "live" crowd noises have been tracked in--which then allowed for multi-tracking each musician's layers of contributions. Is this what's going on here? The music is solid but nothing very innovative or memorable. (17.5/20)

 
6. "Puzzle" (4:07) Euro-funk with clavinet, funky bass, syncopated drums, high-chord rhythm guitar accents, and screaming sax accent hits provide the foundation of this awkward attempt at funk-jazz. Nobody on board here really excels to achieve top tier funk, but it is a valiant attempt (and not totally unsuccessful) attempt across the board. (8.875/10)

7. "The quiet man" (4:43) nicely done explorations of soothing, dream-like soundscapes from bass, delicate cymbal play, gentle electric piano, and smooth saxes--but it's not smooth jazz! It's more like dreamy prog-jazz. I like it! (8.875/10)

Total Time: 38:08

89.12 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an excellent expression of prog- and rock-infused Jazz-Rock Fusion.

PASSPORT Looking Thru (1973)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Curt Cress / drums, electronic percussion
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxophones, Moog, electric piano, Mellotron
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass
- Kristian Schulze / electric piano, organ

1. "Eternal Spiral" (3:59) complex and cruisin' (8.875/10)

2. "Looking Thru" (7:58) smooth yet intricate with an AWESOME funky second motif in the middle. Go Wolfgang Schmid!  (14.5/15)

3. "Zwischenspiel" (1:31) a wonderful acoustic guitar solo with piano accompaniment. (5/5)

4. "Rockport" (3:31) clavinet and unusual synth sounds with pulsing near-Disco beat coming from the rhythm section over which Klaus' multi-saxes belt it out. Very poppy but infectious. (8.875/10)

5. "Tarantula" (3:48) prolonged effected-saxophone squirts panning across the sonic field with minimal support from the rest of the band eventually results in a quite wonderfully bombastic sax opening which signals the release of the funky bass, drums, and clavinet beneath. A little too cheesy-radio friendly with its many hooks there are some seriously innovative ideas here. I'm so glad Klaus chooses a tenor sax for most of his work--including background playing. (9.25/10)

6. "Ready for Take Off" (4:47) opens like something from an RTF album--that hasn't come out yet--before dialing in on a bluesy-teasy jazz-lite tune. Klaus once again shows his wonderfully flamboyant mastery of so many tricks one can play on a saxophone. The "flute" synth melody line in the "chorus" is definitely an earworm; the keyboard work overall is amazing. Mega kudos Kristian Schulze! (9/10)

7. "Eloquence" (5:12) more experimental play with odd synth sounds before drummer Curt Cress joins in. The two actually make for a great duet--but then the bass and other keys join in--as does Klaus on his soprano sax--gathering momentum in a cool jazz motif with great keyboard  and bass playing among the sophisticated key and chord changes. An excellent jazz-rock fusion tune that definitely falls more to the jazz side than some of the other stuff on the album. (9.33333/10)

8. "Things to Come" (2:45) more weird synth-generated sound explorations before the full band, in a very muted-top end form, enters in a driving rock-like motif to support a frenetic and very loose jam from multiple saxophones. Kind of cool! (8.875/10)

Total Time 33:31

Does Klaus and his Passport crew get enough credit? I don't think so. There is a lot of pandering to the listener going on yet the music never fails to be sophisticated and dextrous--and definitely jazzy or funky most of the time.

93.54 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; though a little schlocky and syrupy at times, this is definitely a collection of highly-skilled performances of some very clever and ingenious compositions and ideas. I cannot diminish the masterful music here. 

PASSPORT Cross-Collateral (1975)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Curt Cress / drums, electronic percussion
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Moog, electric piano, Mellotron
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar
- Kristian Schulze / electric piano, organ

1. "Homunculus" (6:09) despite the solid bass play holding this one all together, there is a loose, free-jazz feel to the rest of the performances--and some weird effects being imposed upon the overall sound. Still, the skill levels of all of the individuals are fully on display and still impressive. (8.875/10)

2. "Cross-collateral" (13:38) now three songs in--and this one a long one (of epic length) I can only deduce that band leader Klaus Doldinger (and/or his collaborators) was either spread too thin (very busy) or out of fresh ideas because the music on this album so far has been quite lackluster: lacking both the creativity and complexity that the previous album had overflowing to the brim. The lack of inspired or fully-formed compositional ideas are effecting the energy and interest levels of the rest of the band, resulting in lackadaisical performances--which is sad cuz we know these guys can play! There is absolutely nothing in this song, anywhere, that would ever lead me to want to return to it for repeated listens! It's just a first-take free-for-all from the band's first practice session. Plus, where is Klaus? Where are the saxes? (25/30)

3. "Jadoo" (3:03) something with a more structure but no really interesting quirky ideas or great melodies. (At least the saxes are back--though some are a little-too-heavily-processed.) The drumming is the best element of this one. (8.75/10)

4. "Will-O'the-Wisp" (6:15) even trying to go back to some funk doesn't work: it's just too rudimentary; there's nothing new/fresh or creative here, just by-the-numbers playing. The sound palette is right, just totally uninspired performances. (8.75/10)

5. "Albatros song" (5:18) a one-minute all-keyboard intro leads into some light textural music full of synth strings and, eventually, Klaus's singular saxophone putting forth something that sounds very much like the smooth jazz coming out of the BOB JAMES production labs. (8.6667/10)

6. "Damals" (4:38) acoustic guitar and sparse (keyboard) bass and drum play supporting a plaintive (single) sax solo by Klaus. Nice but clearly representing the new Smooth Jazz form of expression. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:01

85.68 on the Fishscales = C+/three stars; a fair representation of the direction Jazz-Rock Fusion was moving by the end of 1975. 

PASSPORT Infinity Machine (1976)

The last of Klaus' great quartet as keyboard master Kristian Schulze would depart after this album (Wolfgang Schmid and Curt Cress hanging on for one more album).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Curt Cress / drums, percussion
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Moog, keyboards, voice
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar, harmonizer
- Kristian Schulze / keyboards

1. "Ju-Ju-man" (10:04) funk with a bit of a Disco beat and a flashy flair to its "horn" accents. There is a bit too much swag and cock as will become so popular in the machismo Black exploitation films of the time. I hate to say it, but this song is a perfect example of the fact that the funk went to far: the experimental exploration of all of the new synthesizer sounds that artists started throwing almost indiscriminately into the funk music of the 1970s went, in my opinion, way too far--into the protean realm of the ludicrous and absurd--where the effect was to reflect back upon the artist and humanity in terms of freakish exaggeration and circus-like parody. One of the artists that took this behaviour to the extreme, Parliament, at least gave you an immersive circus-like show which they pretended to take serious and which you could walk away from. Anyway, in case you can't tell, the musical palette on this song send me over the top; just too much. (Maybe I need to listen to more George Carlin or read more Robert Heinlein books so that I can desensitize myself to the idiotities of my own species.) (17/20)

2. "Morning sun" (5:49) more into the realm of upbeat Weather Report and Jay Bekcenstein SPYRO GYRA. At least it's coming more from jazz roots than novelty funk/R&B. (8.75/10)

3. "Blue aura" (3:02) pensive whole-band chords open this with some nice delicacy and spaciousness--wordless vocals in there, as well! Soprano sax with gentle yet reactive and creative piano accompaniment takes over at the one minute mark, making a pretty nice little piece just the two of them. Definitely top three song for me. (9.3333/10)

4. "Infinity machine" (5:12) despite the weird, stop-and-restart space intro, this turns into a very nice uptempo song with power and drive. Nothing offensive, over the top, or immature here. Curt Cress is dialed in and Wolfgang, Kristian and Klaus are right on the same page together. A great display of full-band coordination and integration. Plus, pretty decent solos from both Klaus and Kristian in the fourth and fifth minutes (with some fun accents from Klaus on Moog beneath Kristian's solo). (9/10)

5. "Ostinato" (7:37) with the hypnotic groove coming from the bass line it feels a bit like Alan Parsons Project I Robot, but the rest of the rock-heavy Jazz-Rock Fusion over the top is genuine and respectable. There are, however, more than just a couple "modern" synth sounds woven into the tapestry of this one--a couple trying to pull the song into the realm of Smooth Jazz or future Jean-Luc Ponty "Space Jazz." It's nice to hear Wolfgang Schmid return to his beloved guitar for the fifth and sixth minutes, and Curt Cress's tom and roto-tom play in sixth and seventh minutes is pretty darn awesome! (13.375/15)

6. "Contemplation" (6:39) another spacey intro with more wind-chime-like percussions and train-like doppler effect sax and bouncy-echoed Fender Rhodes until 1:40 when some acoustic guitar strums starts a new stream over which Klaus' echo-(chorus?)sax pronounces the melody notes which at times gets David Sanborn-level in terms of power scream(ch)ing but the speed or varies very little. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 38:23

88.28 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice if inconsistent album of forward thinking Jazz-Rock Fusion that many lovers of technological advance will value greatly. 

PASSPORT Igauçu (1977)

With this album, the band's seventh, the employ of Brasilian and African musicians the band moves more closely toward the realm of pop-oriented Adult Contemporary Smooth Jazz. Thankfully, they choose to retain a very firm footing in some nasty funky-town.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Curt Cress / drums, berimbau
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, organ, Moog, flute
- Elmer Louis / percussion
- Roy Louis / electric guitar
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass
Guest musicians:
- Mats Björklund / guitar (8)
- Wilson Das Neves / atapaques, pandeiro (4)
- Roberto Bastos Pinheiro / surdo (4)
- Noel Manuel Pinto / cuica (3-4)
- Clélio Ribeiro / berimbau (4)
- Marcello Salazar / percussion (4)
- Pedro Santos / percussion, whistles (3-4)

1. "Bahia do sol" (5:53) celebratory noises from some kind of street music festival opens this before guitar and organ arise to take over the auditory spectrum. Piano and tenor sax enter to present the chord base and lead melody. It's very David Sanborn-like. In the third minute the bluesy piano is left with Wolfgang Schmid's bass to support a twangy electric guitar solo from Roy Louis. The Burt Bacharach-Aurthur-like sax theme returns in the fourth minute and takes us into the funked up fifth and sixth as organ and piano jam it up from beneath in a kind of New Orleans style. (I think of Dr. John). Nice tune whose solid performances supercede my aversion for this kind of music. (8.875/10) 

2. "Aguamarinha" (4:10) another DAVID SANBORN-like opening led by Klaus' tenor sax turns way better when Klaus stops playing the sax. A wonderfully funky groove lies beneath those schlocky sax lines--which the band take marvellous advantage of in the ensuing two minutes as they support a wonderful muted/wah-wah-ed guitar solo from Roy Louis. At the three-minute mark Klaus's sax returns to take over. I must admit that the time through the main theme is much more pleasurable now that the passions of all the other musicians have been unleashed. (9/10)

3. "Bird of paradise" (5:36) bird noises (parrots?) traipse along in the left channel throughout this slower, gentler, more pastoral BOB JAMES-ish tune. The band is tight, the funk coming from Wolfgang and drummer Curt Cress is real, but then the bottom nearly drops out as a long organ-supported passage supports a pretty cool, spacious, and impressionistic soprano sax solo from the bandleader. Bass, drums, electric piano, and percussion instruments return in equally quirky, impressionistic displays as the music slowly coalesces back into something resembling the opening theme. Very pleasant, with nice melodic hooks to carry with you once the song is over. I like it way more than I thought I was going to. Probably one of my top three songs from the album. (9.125/10)

4. "Sambukada" (4:30) an African village jam: all sorts of percussion and wind instruments open this before the jazz band join in with bass, drums, sax, and electric piano--this latter which is the instrument of choice for Klaus' first solo despite the saxes being the lead instrument for the exposition of the main theme. In the second half of the third minute a treated nasal-sax takes steps into the spotlight for the next solo. Then there is a return to full interplay of the African instrumentation peppered with Curt's drumming and a synth solo from Klaus. Happy and joyful. (8.75/10)  

5. "Iguaçu" (8:42) opening with more African instruments, only scaled down quite a bit from the huge lineup of the previous song, the rock-jazz palette and themes are introduced almost immediately over the top of the bird/animal-like chattering horn/whistle/squeeze box that plays beneath it all in the same left channel as the parrot/bird in the album's third song. A Weather Report "Birdland"-like quiet passage takes over in the third and fourth minutes, allowing the percussives and incidentals coming from Kurt's keyboards (especially his clavinet) to shine through quite clearly along with some nice upper-octave rhythm guitar play from Roy. A return to full force sound occupies the fifth minute before there is a return to the quiet "Birdland" motif in the sixth through the seventh. Again the band slowly rebuilds its full palette into full-force fast-paced jazz-rock fusion while Klaus plays a soprano sax. I really like the rhythm work of this guitarist! (17.75/20)   

6. "Praia lame" (2:58) more Weather Report-like palette that turns into some more DAVE SANBORN-like funk music before Klaus launches on a BOB JAMES-like Fender Rhodes solo over his masterful funkster support crew. These guys are so good! This little thing is one of my top three songs! (9.125/10)  

7. "Heavy weight" (4:30) a heavily-funked-up piece that, unfortunately, moves along in territory that is a little too montonous and one-dimensional for my liking. (8.75/10)

8. "Guna Guna" (4:28) moving into the Funk/R&B territory of so many American bands--like DAZZ, Kool & The Gang, The Brothers Johnson, and The Isley Brothers--Klaus even tops it off with some of that reverbed multi-tracked (or chorused) DAVE SANBORN sax spouting off from the backdrop. Luckily these guys are really good--and there is some awesome soloing from guest guitarist, the young Mats Björklund, to entertain us. The jam is cut short by a long, slow fadeout (which means that in the studio it went on for much longer). It's good but this is not the direction I wanted to see the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement travel. (8.875/10) 

Total Time: 40:47

Here we have eight songs performed at such a high level, by great musicians who, you can feel, are fully on board with Klaus' musical vision. However, what diminishes the end product for me is the sway and attraction Klaus is feeling from the draw of more popular, commercially-successful forms and styles of music: like the Bob James/David Sanborn jazz-lite and funk-R&B. I mean, I don't begrudge him: everybody is feeling it: even Miles and Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert and The Isleys, The (Jazz) Crusaders and Herbie Hancock! There is comfort born of commercial and financial success! I'm just sad to be recounting, historically, the demise of the exciting peak years of discovery and experimentation that bread and defined Jazz-Rock Fusion.

89.167 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an excellent album of funky Jazz-Rock Fusion. 

PASSPORT Ataraxia (Sky Blue) (1978)

Oh, no! Gone are drummer Curt Cress and bass player Wolfgang Schmid! Let's see how Klaus does with replacements Willy Ketzer and Dieter Petereit (and new full-member on keys, Hendrik Schaper). At least he was able to keep percussionist Elmer Louis and his extraordinary guitarist brother, Roy.  

Line-up / Musicians:
- Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, flute, keyboards, Mellotron
- Willy Ketzer / drums
- Elmer Louis / percussion
- Roy Louis / guitar
- Guillermo G. Marchena / vocals, percussion
- Dieter Petereit / electric bass
- Hendrik Schaper / keyboards

1. "Ataraxia, Pt. 1" (2:55) truly a pastoral introductory piece--one with little to no development. (4.375/5)
2. "Ataraxia, Pt. 2" (5:23) In these first two pieces Klaus' new predilection toward rich keyboard textures in his music is accented by the significant contributions of newcomer Hendrick Schaper. There is almost a TANGERINE DREAM feel to this music--certainly to the sound palette--at least until the arrival of Klaus' saxophone at 2:20--which brings out the not-so-TD-sounding funk from bassist Dieter Petereit and the keyboardists. I like this music, the new keyboard-rich sound palette; I just lament the loss of the music's Jazz-Rock Fusion footings. (9/10)

3. "Sky Blue" (4:38) keyboard synth wash chordal opening--a sound that reminds me more of early synths (like those used by Vangelis at this time) --leads to a rock-heavy theme that sports a pretty awesome "recorder/flute" synth solo. I do not like the thinner, poorer quality of sound coming from the engineering team for this album; this is a much more rock 'n' roll-sounding engineering sound--like something from The Crusaders at about this same time. The synth sounds are all quite dated (and unprocessed?) I like it all but, again, I just feel sad for the drift away from the sounds that made Jazz-Rock Fusion its own unique sub-genre. (8.875/10)

4. "Mandrake" (4:27) okay, here at least we're back to a little of the funky that Bob James, Steely Dan, and the pop-rock-jazz artists are making popular in the States. With doubled-up (chorused?) sax leads and handclaps(?) This, to me, is still Jazz-Rock Fusion, though definitely of the lighter, Fourth Wave or "Smooth Jazz" version. Nice guitar soloing from Roy Louis. This must be what Klaus thinks the public want. Another very pleasant, likable song, if definitely more pop-oriented. (8.875/10)

5. "Reng Ding Dang Dong" (3:01) this one sounds like a funk-affected modification of early Terry Riley-like synth sounds--as if the array are all trying to break free of the minimalist sequence they are stuck in.  Interesting! (4.5/5)

6. "Loco-Motive" (4:17) all sounds here but the Disco-lite bass and drums seem to be trying to create an I Robot-like ALAN PARSONS PROJECT song--only, here, the danceable, disco version! It's certainly entertaining--and likable--even when the DAVID SANBORN sax joins in for the third minute. Creative and yet perhaps a little too derivative. (8.875/10)

7. "The Secret" (5:05) the Weather Report sound and style is back! Sax, keys, and bass all exposing the opening chords/melodies in unison. At the one-minute mark they spread out and begin expressing new melodic streams in a harmonized, if still syncopated, fashion. Then, with the third minute's opening we move into a motif that feels as if borrowed straight from some of the quieter passages of NOVA's brilliant Vimana album ("Vimana," "Night Games" and "Driftwood"), but then it goes back to the poppier Weather Report mode as Klaus solos with his soprano sax. The final minute sees a total return to the Weather Report-like opening motif. It's okay, but, again, the sound quality is a bit disappointing--especially after a string of seven previous albums whose sound quality was among the greatest in the music industry. (8.75/10)

8. "Louisianna" (4:32) slowed down fair that might be trying to emulate a Louisiana sound or style but end up sounding completely like one of those blues DAVID SANBORN songs. A sad waste of space. (8.5/10)

9. "Algeria" (5:12) wild upbeat and up-temp Latin-/Caribbean-dominant music. Great percussion performances throughout the song with nice "big band"-like full-band-backed horn arrangements defining the bookends but leaving plenty of time for some spry and fun tenor sax soloing in the middle. Certainly a fun song. (9/10)

Total Time: 39:11

Though I admire Klaus' ever-adventurous spirit for being open to the exploration of many of the latest and current trends in music, I find the drop in sound quality of this album's production to be surprising--especially since I had, since 1971, upheld his albums as the gold standard in sound recording. What happened?

88.4375 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition of diverse music that represents rather perfectly the the "awkward teen" years of the late 70s. 

PASSPORT Garden of Eden (1979)

For Garden of Eden Klaus Doldinger has managed to retain the participation of the new core of collaborators that he had on the previous year's Ataraxia (Sky Blue); the only loss (and it is significant) is of the Louis brothers, Elmer and Roy (percussion and guitar, respectively).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, keyboards, clarinet
- Willy Ketzer / drums, percussion
- Kevin Mulligan / guitar, vocals
- Dieter Petereit / bass
- Hendrik Schaper / keyboards
Guest musicians:
- Kathy Bartney / vocals (4-6)
- Horst Ramthor / harp (2a)

1. "Big bang" (3:53) a long spacey/atmospheric synth intro is joined by Disco drums, percussion, and the rest of the band while Klaus steps in with a soprano sax to lead the way. There is a little bit of the ELOY sound emanating from this as well as, in the later portions, some JACO PASTORIUS-imitative bass play. (8.6667/10)

2. "Garden of Eden": (8:51) (18.875/20)
a) "Dawn" (1:54) the beautiful and soothing pastoral Nature intro that I've always loved. Yes, Mike Oldfield, and may have been source inspirations for this. (5/5)
b) "Light I" (1:53) enter Kevin Mulligan's English vocals, presented in a kind of YES/Jon Anderson mode. Then drums and electric guitar begin to introduce themselves before a second verse. Sax, Moog, and electric guitar add their ten cents worth along the way. (4.375/5)
c) "Light II" (5:04) now launching into a fun, forward-moving passage that reminds one of the music of NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN and THE ELOY as well as future Trevor Horn projects like The Buggles and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Nice vocal melodies from Kevin and Kathy Barney. Excellent jazzy New Age prog. (9.5/10)

3. "Snake" (4:49) gorgeous journey down a lazy river. Great slow, drawn out melodies. (9.5/10)

4. "Gates of paradise" (3:47) more Hiram Bullock/Narada Michael Walden-like music, here bringing out the funk with some new slap bass and deep thrum chords. Vocals are okay, though the melodies are great, it's just that the multi-track (chorused?) effect on a lead vocalist that was popular at the time (as with Narada Michael Walden's treatment of his own voice as well as some of Al Jarreau's): a little schlocky. There's also a little more of the NOVA sound here. (8.875/10)

5. "Dreamware" (5:00) Disco with all of the concurrent tricks: slap-and pluck bass, Ernie Isley guitar sound in the rhythm (styled like George Johnson), Evelyn Champagne King hand claps, electric piano chords, and synth sound used for the solo over the top. Great quality upbeat and uptempo disco dance music. (9.125/10) 

6. "Good Earth smile" (5:04) another pop/radio-oriented tune that has one foot in the world of American Gospel-oriented Southern Rock and one in the Weather Report school of Adult Contemporary jazz. (8.6667/10)

7. "Children's dance" (3:39) another song that seems to come straight out of the WEATHER REPORT repertoire of happy-go-lucky pop tunes. (8.75/10) 

Total Time: 35:03

By far the proggiest of Klaus' albums. When they're proggy, the songs are really great. When he tries to turn back toward the latest trends in Jazz-Rock Fusion and Weather Report/Crusaders pop jazz it falls into the category of average (for that time very good).  

90.57 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; an album blessed with great prog but then also cursed with schlocky, now-dated pop. Fortunately for we prog lovers, the progginess and high quality of the other explorations wins out.

What a wild ride Klaus Doldinger took us on throughout the 1970s. Always brave and enthusiastic enough to try the latest sounds and stylings, he explored experimental forays into dozens of different trends. The only thing diminishing his legacy is the lack stamping his mark with his own sounds or stylings--though, as I've pointed out many times in my reviews, the quality of the sound production of all of the early Passport album releases set a standard that few (if any) Jazz-Rock Fusion or Progressive Rock albums ever attained. It must be pointed out that Klaus was 35-years old when he embarked on a Jazz-Rock Fusion phase of his career with the Passport project. It can, therefore, be surmised that he had considerable experience in the production and engineering departments before starting this band. Though Dieter Dirks often served as the overseeing engineer during the Passport recording sessions, Atlantic Records allowed Klaus to act as sole producer over each of the band's first six records. When Klaus moved to Munich and began recording his albums there instead of Stommeln (and, eventually, opening up his own private recording studio), he began employing his own engineers (and musicians). 

     Passport as a band continued to be Klaus Doldinger's main outlet for musical expression well into the 21st Century, releasing live and studio records as recently as 2020 (at the age of 84!)

My Favorite Passport Albums from the 1970s:

1. Looking Thru (1973) - (93.54)

2. Second Passport (1972) - (92.08)
3. Garden of Eden (1979) - (90.57)
4. Igauçu (1977) - (89.167)
5. Hand Made (1973) - (89.12)

6. Ataraxia (Sky Blue) (1978) - (88.4375)
7. Infinity Machine (1976) - (88.28)
8. Passport - Doldinger (1971) - (88.125)
9. Cross-Collateral (1975) - (85.68)