Doldinger

Personnel: Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, electric piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); Olaf Kübler (flute, tenor saxophone); Udo Lindenberg, Jim Jackson (organ); Lothar Meid (electric bass).
The members of Passport had almost perfected their sound when they made Doldinger, an energetic album of jazzy progressive rock with some funk touches. The rhythm section of keyboardist John Mealing and percussionist Bryan Spring is more straightforward and rock-oriented than the later team of Kristian Schulze and Curt Cress, but their playing here is very accomplished. Fans of the later work of this band will find it interesting to hear the different dynamic that bassist Wolfgang Schmid and saxophonist and keyboard player Klaus Doldinger achieved in this incarnation of the group. Doldinger is the center of the group as always, and his melodic writing and arranging is in top form here. The sound of the Doldinger album is of a band just before hitting its peak, but at the time it must have seemed like it would be Passport's landmark release. ~ Richard Foss