PASSPORT - DOLDINGER

Passport is a little known - or should I say forgotten - German instrumental jazz-rock unit right from the heyday of fusion. Their roots are clearly more in rock then in jazz, which brings them closer to the UK Canterbury sound then to the US fusion acts. Bands like Soft Machine, Colloseum, and the instrumental side of Gong and Caravan can all serve as a point of reference.

The band's strength is clearly in Doldinger's catchy saxophone lines that sometimes remind me of VDGG's David Jackson, only more playful and joyous. Also the almost continuous tight and upbeat pace of the songs is very alluring. On later works, the keyboards would start to play a bigger role, creating a sound that Ozric Tentacles owe a lot to.

The band's weakness lies a bit in the songwriting and lack of originality. Their albums can serve as perfect background music when entertaining guest or doing the dishes but the lack of variation and innovation can get a bit tiresome when listening attentively.

Passport's debut is an album that amply shows their strengths and at the same time hides their weaknesses very effectively. Something they rarely managed to repeat in the remainder of their career. A tasty and easy-going instrumental jazzy rock album.