Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Passport
Label: Atlantic Records
Release: 1974
Runtime: 33:31
Rating: 4.5/5
Legendary German saxophonist and composer Klaus Doldinger, as the head honcho of jazz fusion giants Passport, has racked up a nice pile of top-notch albums over his career, ones that still tickle the eardrums of music connoisseurs today. Among the peaks of his output is without a doubt the aptly named “Looking Thru”, where Mr. Doldinger, along with his trusty sunglasses, is immortalized on one of the most mystical covers of all time. Beyond the mystique, though, the music also brings outstanding energy in its individual motifs and the sky-high cohesion between the players that’s a must for top-quality jazz fusion.
Doldinger and his crew (still in the classic Passport lineup at that point) cultivated a seriously interesting kind of fusion, one that often sat closer to progressive rock than to the classic jazz fusion ruled by legends and pioneers like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever. On “Looking Thru” this side of their signature blend of jazz, rock and avant-garde stands out even more thanks to the heavy presence of electronically tinged synth lines, led by the Mellotron, that classic prog-rock artifact. Besides the saxophones, Doldinger played most of the synth parts, while Kristian Schultze, as usual, showed off his organ and piano chops, playing a key role in the album’s pronounced orchestral sound.
The dream rhythm section, made up of bass-playing powerhouse Wolfgang Schmid and drumming grandmaster Curt Cress (later a member of Triumvirat and Saga), one of the first drummers who knew how to use electronic drums, gives the album tons of variety. Cress’s drumming style was always aggressive and complex, and at times it can sound almost heavy-rock, which later opened doors for him with musicians working outside the world of jazz.
The album is dominated by a wealth of electronic keyboards and Klaus’s saxophone wizardry, but don’t overlook Schmid’s tasty guitar passages in between, which inject some extra rock energy into individual tracks. Throughout the album, Doldinger’s crew steadfastly steers clear of any long-winded improvisations, so most of the compositions have a proper head and tail, laid over a melodic backdrop of wind and keyboard arrangements. Doldinger always had an incredible feel for beautiful melodies on his sax.
It’s impossible to pick favorites, since every single composition on the album is in a league of its own, confirming Doldinger’s genius as a composer and arranger, as well as the band’s instrumental tightness and their drive toward sonic perfectionism. The very intro of the classic “Eternal Spiral”, dominated by mighty Mellotron and Moog synthesizer sounds, is monumental and sucks the listener into the album in an instant. The moment Cress’s wrecking-ball drum fills and Schmid’s rattling, almost funky bass lines kick in, the track veers into seriously fiery, ultra-fast waters. In between, waves of Mellotron roll past along with playful trickery on the Moog, adding extra flavor to a first-rate helping of supersonic-tinged fusion.
On the title track, you can admire above all Doldinger’s melodic sax passages, with which, helped by an assortment of percussion and keyboards, he builds seductive melodies. The orchestral motifs are teeming with complex rhythmic meanders, laid down in a most refined way. “Zwischenspiel” is a short but elegant melody built on the pairing of Schultze’s piano and Schmid’s acoustic guitar. “Rockport”, as its title already confirms, is another wildly lively piece, full of sax trickery laid over funky rhythmic embellishments. Here too there’s no shortage of what was, for the time, innovative use of synthesizers, which they use to conjure up a series of cheeky electronic sounds that fit perfectly with the teasing central sax melody.
On “Tarantula” they also treat themselves to a few short improvisational experiments on sax and keyboards, which quickly give way to mighty wind arrangements and a funky rhythm. The guitar passages in between are worked in with remarkable pragmatism and bring an enviable dose of rock potency to the jazzy duels between sax and keyboards. On the excellent “Ready For Take Off”, Schmid’s tight, complex bass lines take the spotlight, backed up by sax trickery and some great ideas on the synths. There’s also room for a short guitar solo and some crafty use of guitar effects.
“Eloquence” has an unusual, almost avant-garde intro on the Moog synthesizer. The electronic sounds eventually give way to snarling bass lines, drum barrages and masterful sax solos. It’s one of the more complex compositions, with plenty of room to spotlight the outstanding solo talents of every player. The closing “Things To Come”, thanks to its experimenting with electronic synth sounds and use of electronic percussion, with the sax pushed into the background in the production, was certainly innovative for its time, but because of its thoroughly avant-garde nature and a total absence of melodic sensibility, it remains the least appealing piece on the album.
“Looking Thru” usually doesn’t get as much attention as the masterpieces of the American or English masters of jazz fusion, even though it deserves it in every respect, as it’s one of the genre’s finest gems and can easily win over plenty of prog rock fans too. The balance of arranging finesse, rhythmic dynamics and strong melodic sense that rules on this album can be found on only a handful of releases by this legendary band. When it came out, thanks to its extensive experimentation with electronic keyboards and electronic percussion, this was undoubtedly a revolutionary album, while today it enjoys “just” the status of a forgotten classic among all lovers of quality jazz fusion.
Lineup
Klaus Doldinger – saxophone, keyboards, electric piano, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron
Wolfgang Schmid – bass guitar, guitar
Curt Cress – drums, percussion, electronic percussion
Kristian Schultze – organ, piano, keyboards, Fender piano
Production
Passport
Tracklist
1. Eternal Spiral
2. Looking Thru
3. Zwischenspiel
4. Rockport
5. Tarantula
6. Ready For Take Off
7. Eloquence
8. Things To Come
