Under The Radar, No. 4: Passport




In the early 1970s, a good friend and outstanding drummer, Peter Nowlin, was working with me in a band with the Aiardo brothers in New Haven.

Passport Looking ThruPeter is from Virginia and traveled with an extensive record collection and quality stereo system. At some point, he turned me on to Passport, a German fusion group led by reed man and occasional keyboard player Klaus Doldinger. I was immediately taken with the group. This particular version of Passport from about 1971 to 1977, and by the way the group is still around and legendary in Germany, is now referred to as Classic Passport.

It was definitely the heydey of the band, a quartet that featured Wolfgang Schmid on bass and sometimes guitar, Curt Cress on drums and Kristian Schulze on Fender piano and organ along with Doldinger, who plays his reeds as well as moog and keyboards, all extraordinary musicians. And although they are a German institution, they were never really that fully appreciated in this country.

The music definitely fell into the jazz-rock vein. As one of the best fusion bands of the era, Passport fused jazz-inflected melodies, usually blown by Doldinger with his distinctive tenor and soprano sax sound, employing a liberal amount of echo and/or delay for a fat, sustained quality, over a solid rock and funk foundation. With almost never a guitar in use, the band had a sound apart from most other fusion groups, quite different than anything else happening at the time.

Being a big fan of lead guitarists, it was unusual for me to like a group without one, but the European-based melodic sense and furious and incendiary rhythm section were irresistible. The songwriting and constructions also differed from anything else on the fusion scene and the playing was so good, it was at times overwhelming.

Doldinger has also gained notoriety for his soundtracks, including his best known Das Boot, but he is first a consummate reed man, certainly owing much to the be-bop era, but with a very individualist approach that settles perfectly between jazz and rock, just like his considerable compositional skills.

The thing that probably hooked me the most was that the group’s brand of fusion did not stray from the rock vein when it came to the grooves laid down by Cress and Schmid. Cress is quite the remarkable drummer with chops equal to just about anyone in the fusion field and Schmid has a great sense of not only supplying rock-solid patterns but also, in his own way, utilizing the bass as a lead instrument, not unlike Jack Bruce of Cream in theory, albeit in his own unique manner.

Passport Cross CollateralThe string of albums this group recorded in the early-to-mid ’70s is inspiring. Schmid was included on Second Passport from ’71, while the classic quartet endured from Hand Made (1973), with its monumental title track, Looking Thru and Cross-Collateral, both ’74, Infinity Machine (’76) and Iguacu (’77), augmented by Roy Louis on guitar and Elmer Louis, percussion.

Throw in two live albums, Doldinger Jubilee Concert (’73) and Doldinger Jubilee ’75, both recorded in Germany, with plenty of guests, including Brian Auger, organ, Philip Catherine, guitar, Buddy Guy, guitar, Les McCann, Fender piano, among many others, and you have a body of work that is extremely impressive.

I actually transferred most of these early albums, with the exceptions of Infinity Machine and Iguacu,  from Peter’s vinyl to a TEAC four-track, reel-to-reel deck and enjoyed them for many years in that format. I have all of them on CD now and although some of the Wounded Bird titles have gone out of print already, with a little searching you can find most of them at reasonable prices.

It’s difficult to single out one or even two albums as Hidden Treasures or high points during this time period, but if pressed, probably the twosome of Looking Thru and Cross-Collateral would earn those designations, although a strong argument can be made for Infinity Machine.

Looking Thru includes opener Eternal Spiral, with its celestial intro leading into a melody that sounds like the ascending and descending image of its title while accented by breathtaking rhythmic changes; and the easy flowing groove of Looking Thru that transforms into a straight-ahead rock feel with keyboard and moog layering the melody. Other highlights include the R&B flavored Rockport, built on a blues progression with a nice twist in the turnaround, and the uptempo Tarantula, laden with a tenor gliding over the rhythm section with its sustained note melody and later juxtaposed with bass and keyboard riffing to lead out of the main section.

Cross-Collateral features another infectious opener in Homunculus, a swinging jazz waltz; the burning bass-keyboard riff of Jadoo; Will-O’-The-Wisp’s funky bass and drum figure that creates lots of space for the reeds; the start-stop intro of the title track that races to a quirky, jerky high energy tempo only to land on a heavy funk bass and keyboard riff; and the poignant and enveloping beauty of the ballad Albatross Song.

Passport often uses stark yet smooth transitions to a second theme within a tune as a signature for its compositional structures, sometimes returning but often times never heading back to the beginning theme. The contrasts between one section and another makes for an interesting ride through many of the group’s tunes.

Neither of these records has a faulty track on it, as can be said for the rest of these albums, and the solos throughout by each of the players are inventive, distinctive and give the listener a sense of completeness. Add to all this some of the greatest album covers from the ’70s that border on avant-garde modern art, all off a single theme and each package is special from its appearance to its content.

Peter has called this band the greatest in the world. If not the greastest, certainly among the very best.

 Almost nothing of this classic quartet is available on video. Under the photo of the classic four, there is a rehearsal for the Doldinger Jubilee Concert from 1974, although it says ’73, with all the members present, complemented by numerous guest artists. Unfortunately the sound is lacking and you don’t get the fullness of Doldinger’s horn, which is a trademark on the albums. But it’s still worth checking out.

Passport Classic 1 540

6 thoughts on “Under The Radar, No. 4: Passport

  1. So, here’s the deal: Four concerts in a week’s time, starting this coming Sunday: First up, the great Gilberto Gil, a magnificent Hall of Fame Brazilian artist whose has influenced (and was influenced by) a generation of great artists. Outside venue in Scottsdale. Very cool possibilities.
    Second, Ray Davies (a fave) on Tuesday at downtown Phoenix’s Dodge Theatre, a 5,000-seat or so venue with a nice sound system and a fairly intimate setting. Think he’s playing an accoustic and an electric set. After his close-call in New Orleans some years ago, and with his remarkable track record, I gotta see him one last time. (Have several Kinks stories from back when.)
    Third, the wonderful Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias in Tempe on Friday night. She is kick-ass all the way, and not bad on the eyes, either
    Finally, Paul McCartney at a hockey arena out in Glendale (burb of Phoenix). First show of tour. Stepson’s 15th birthday present. He is thrilled, though had been telling kids at school that he was going to see “Lennon.” Whatever….
    This will be a good week. Will be bootlegging every last second, as always.

    Hope all is well, Paul R

  2. Paul,

    That sounds absolutely amazing, particularly Eliane Elias, who I’ve seen once. It’s hard to pick from those four, but if I had one to go to it would be her concert. It’s so difficult to see her because she doesn’t play that often in the Northeast. Still, Gil, Davies, McCartney! That should be a great week.

    We have a few coming up, including Mick Taylor in Northhampton. He canceled this gig last July up there because of health issues and is finally coming back to the States.

    Enjoy,
    Paul

  3. thanks, Paul. And for the good ink. I’m sure you’ve listened to the soundtrac from ‘Das Boot’, just another example of Doldingers genius. I’d love to have the ‘Passport’ collection again, but, alas, too many miles and far too many playings! Now his, and also Claus Ogermans, recordings start at around a buck-fifty for good quality!!. I’m very disappointed with ‘wounded bird’….mp3 quality at ‘vintage’ price!
    How ’bout a renunion w/ Randy, yourself, and…..well, you get stuck with me,again. We laid down some exceptional tracks at the lake…..my compliments. You are/were so sublime!!!!!
    Peter

  4. I still have a handful of Passport vinyl, in relatively good shape. Yes, Wounded Bird is very inconsistent with the quality of the product they release. When I picked up Handmade and Iguacu, I could only find them as import CDs at fairly reasonable prices and they sound pretty good.

    Doldinger keeps moving on. He has so much material out there. I’m still discovering it.

  5. Paul,

    I saw Passport during this period at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. Excellent performance by all but Curt Cress was amazing. And I’m a guitarist!!

    Thanks…

  6. Joe,

    Thanks for the comment. I would loved to have seen them. And at the Jazz Workshop! I went there in my Berklee days. They used to have a special roped off section for students because they served drinks and most students were underage. I remember catching Ahmad Jamal there and being mesmerized. The Workshop would have been quite a good venue to see Passport. I’ve always liked Cress as well. A drummer friend of mine turned me on to Passport.

    Paul

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *