Passport is the creation of saxophonist
Klaus Doldinger, who has stated that
Passport is not so much a set group but a label and a name for his many projects.
Doldinger, who had started out playing Dixieland back in the 1950s, by the following decade was a modern tenor-saxophonist who also worked in the studios. His mind has always remained quite open and in 1970 he formed
Passport so as to explore the combination of advanced jazz improvising with rockish rhythms. Passport matches
Doldinger's reeds (tenor, soprano, flute and occasional keyboards) with an electric rhythm section. The group's first recording (1970's Passport) also included
Olaf Kubler on second tenor and flute, organist
Jimmy Jackson, electric bassist Lother Maid and drummer
Udo Lindenberg. Soon the group went through the first of several complete turnovers. The mid-1970's version usually teamed
Doldinger with keyboardist
Kristian Schultze, electric bassist
Wolfgang Schmid and drummer
Curt Cress and by 1978 it had changed drastically again. However, no matter who was in the rhythm section,
Klaus Doldinger's lead voice and his band's musical direction remained consistent through the years. Passport has made numerous recordings, particularly for Atlantic. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide