Wow! Combining high-powered, psychedelic rock and R & B like I've never heard it, Omar Rodriquez-Lopez--of THE MARS VOLTA fame--has created a monster of an album. Almost completely instrumental and, except for the guitar work and modern recording techniques, very reminiscent of lots of music and artists from the jazz fusion and electronic prog experimentalists fromt he 1970s.

1. "Melting Chariots" (3:51) starts off like something from a P-Funk album or TALKING HEADS' Remain in Light. The unusual staccato guitar solo is a quite inconsistent with the rest of the song's feel and sound. (8.75/10)

2. "Knee Deep in the Loving Hush of Heresy" (6:02) begins with ORNETTE COLEMAN-like free-for-all cacophony. The just as suddenly the music settles into a groove--an almost tongue-in-cheek 'sexy space' walk. The song flows intermmittently in and out of the opening cacophony, as well as into some stark bluesy sections. This sounds a lot like some of TODD RUNDGREN's wild sound/listener experiments from the 70s. The 'sexy space walk' jam is the overall dominant thread that keeps the song moving forward but there are many 'pauses' and 'interludes' into guitar and synthesizer 'tangents.' The song ends with a minute of straightforward heavy metal rock n roll. Interesting sonic and technical experimentation. (8.75/10)

3. "Jacob Van Lennepkade II" (18:25) is a wonderful multi-track (midi?) jam set over a very engaging, danceable groove laid down by the rhythm section. The occasional 'chorus' section is lead by saxophone melody--all the while the rhythm section keeps on groovin' away on the same pace, same riffs, same chords. The first five minutes are dominated by guitar(s) solo; second five by keyboard(s), third five by saxophone; and the final by guitars again. Awesome performances throughout. Great jam. (38/40)

4. "Fuerza de Liberacion" (5:33) begins with some odd synthesizer and vocal percussion 'noises.' At the one minute mark most of this fades away to be replaced by a kind of steady 'Carribbean' beat over which a heavily muted/treated male voice talks for over two minutes. Giving way to a multi-track guitar solo, beneath which the drummer--and then the keyboardist and saxophone player--has some real fun. The song's basic bass and keyboard structure remains steady and constant throughout. (8.875/10)

5. "Sparked From the Insult List" (6:08) is pure Latin groove rock--SANTANA at his jammin' best. Again, multi-track guitar (by which I mean that one guitar is being played but that it's sound is being channelled through two or more effects boxes and then into multiple recording tracks, giving it the feel that multiple instruments are being played). The presence of Rhodes-like keyboard and flute give this a very 1970s feel. Awesome feel and sound--one I can never get enough of. (10/10)

6. "Baby Fat" (2:47) has a very jazzy, KING CRIMSON feel to it--even down to the discordant free jam the song devolves into. (8.75/10)

7. "The Apocalypse Inside of An Orange" (11:14) is a true adventure in Psychedelic/Space Rock--even down to the "Indian" feel of the 'sitar' and bass sounds--a musical expression of pre-Big Bang (or post-apocalyptic) cosmic soup. It's actually quite entertaining and even engaging. (Again I am reminded of some of TODD RUNDGREN's work from the 70s--this time almost exactly like the middle 30 minutes of his 36 minute epic, "Treatise on Cosmic Fire"on Initiation). I quite like it! (18.5/20)

8. "Coma Pony" (6:36) is another throwback song, starting with a very cool, laid back jazz fusion (almost trip hoppy) groove set down by bass, drums, and very 60s/70s keyboard sound and style--over which the guitar again does his multi-track jamming. The ERIC GALE- like jazz guitar, BOB JAMES-like keyboard playing, TOM SCOTT/GROVER WASHINGTON- like sax play, and catchy melodies make this a very enjoyable and comfortable song--like a stroll through memory lane. (10/10)

Truly an exceptional album of adventurous music. Close to being a masterpiece; definitely 4.5 stars.

Klaus Doldinger's first release using the "Passport" moniker. Unfortunately, he would have to come up with a whole new lineup of musicians in order to produce his next album.

1. "Uranus" (6:35) with the use of weird synthesizer sounds and multiple "chorus" saxophones in the lead, this one sounds futuristic--like something that would influence the next/new generation of German prog rockers (ELOY and ANYONE'S DAUGHTER are what immediately come to mind). Though I like the flutes as a complement to the rest of the sounds in the second motif, it's Udo Lindenberg's drumming that really holds my attention the most--that and the intriguing sound choices coming from Jimmy Jackson and Klaus Doldinger's keyboards. (8.75/10)

2. "Shirokko" (5:44) opening with Klaus's solo saxophone being fed through some delay, echo, and panning effects for a 55-second intro before the drummer and bass player breaks into a groovy 1960s jazzed (or funked)-up surfer music motif. Clavinet-like keyboard provides the R&B guitar-like rhythm play while multiple saxophones provide horn-section-like background fill. Some of Klaus and Olaf Kübler's saxes solo over the top as well as Jimmy Jackson's organ in the third and fourth. Excellent! The really superstar (besides Udo's smooth/relaxed drumming) is Lothar Meid's chill bass play. A top three song for me--probably my favorite. (9.125/10)

3. "Hexensabbat" (4:27) using the heavy organ and "clavinet" sound from The Court of the Crimson King and driving Hammond and saxophone makes this song a very welcome proggy-side of the "new" jazz-rock fusion medium. Klaus's saxophone play leans far more to the sounds we've been hearing for a few months from Britain's VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. Another top three song. (9/10)

4. "Nostalgia" (5:13) taking his cues from the great WAYNE SHORTER, Klaus has got to be one of the other first/early users of sound engineering effects on his saxophones. Nice, evenly-paced low key song.(8.75/10)

5. "Lemuria's dance" (4:37) and Klaus's pioneering way of using multiple saxophones to create his DON ELLIS-like wall of strings- and/or horn section-like back texture has also got to be pretty innovative (as well as perhaps nodding back to his big band days). Drummer Udo Lindenberg again impresses: big time! (8.875/10)

6. "Continuation" (9:53) a song that starts out with a spacey bucolic motif that develops very slowly and deliberately within its atmospheric spaciousness before the band winds up in the second half ramping things up to another VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR level of power: even going so far as to use similar sound palette and odd chord progressions. (17.5/20)

7. "Madhouse jam" (5:47) early MIROSLAV VITOUS/HERBIE HANCOCK/LARRY CORYELL-like funk using a rather simple bass and chord progression to define the rhythm track while adding some rock-like instruments like rhythm guitar and breathy flute; the whole foundation is just too blues-rock simplistic. Even WAR or BRIAN AUGER are more sophisticated and multi-directional than this. (8.5/10)

Total Time: 42:16

B/four stars; an excellent representative of the directions of possibilities in early Jazz-Rock Fusion.

Klaus Doldinger's second album using the "Passport" moniker, for which he had to get an entirely fresh set of musicians to try to support his vision, his compositions, including two Americans, keyboard artist John Mealing and drummer Bryan Spring. This marks the beginning of bassist Wolfgang Schmid (later known as Wolfgang Schmid- Grandy)'s six-year, six album commitment to Klaus. 1. "Mandragora" (3:46) very modern synth, clavinet, and electric bass noises open this one before drummer Bryan Spring and bassist Wolfgang Schmid align in an awesome cruisin' groove with clavinet right there with them. Though Klaus' multiple saxes present the main melody, it's his funky synthesizer that takes the first solo. In the third minute it's time for solo tenor sax. The melodies are okay, but it's the rhythm track that is so winning! (9.3333/10)

2. "Nexus" (5:23) here the rhythm section have some fun playing around with a wild game of tag before settling into a surprising R&B groove for Klaus to solo over while John Mealing plays around with his electric piano somewhere in the middle. Bassist Wolfgang Schmid and drummer Bryan Spring are playing like Titans (or monsters), as if they're in The Flintstones primal drum band--a theme that becomes even more pronounced in and throughout the fourth and fifth minutes. Not even Klaus' emotional soprano sax can take my attention away from this primal groove--not until the final 15 seconds when the band wind it down does the hypnotic effect fade. Nice! (9/10)

3. "Fairy tale" (7:32) gently echoing soprano sax notes float off into the mountain foothills while the gentle breeze tinkles the wind chimes and cymbals. Electric piano and bass notes join in slowly, transforming the porch-view into a trek into the foothills. Beautiful melodies issued by Klaus are apparently borrowed from a famous German folk song (which is even credited in the album's liner notes). Pleasant Herbie Hancock-like pastoral electric piano play during John Mealing's solo in the fifth minute. How can people discount this artist's abilities?! There is so much feeling and nuance in his play (not all flash and flare). Klaus returns with his soprano sax in the sixth minute as the rhythm section tightens up a bit--but not too much: just raising the tension levels a notch or two--but then Klaus' hypnotic echoed- melodies convince everyone to back down again to the gentle support roles they initially exhibited. Nice song! (13.75/15)

4. "Get yourself a second passport" (4:03) another funky clavinet-led R&B opening and acceleration is enhanced noticeably by the wah-wah and volume pedal modified rhythm guitar. (Wolfgang?!?!) Nice rhythm play beneath Klaus' soprano sax and "flute" synth solos. Wolfgang is really on fire in the "Can't Get Next to You" third and fourth minutes. Klaus switches to multiple instruments on multiple tracks to issue the main melody. Pretty cool! (8.875/10)

5. "Registration O" (9:24) Opening like a kind of campy burlesque song, the bass and low-end heavy drums are reinforced by a low-end organ bass as Klaus blasts away rather wildly on his tenor sax. I find it interesting how Klaus has mixed the organ's bass pedal line as the most forward, highest volume track in the song. Synth "saw" solo in the fourth minute is followed by a searing organ solo. But the biggest surprise (and highlight) to this heavy, MAGMA-esque tune is bassist Wolfgang Schmid's very good wah-ed electric guitar solo in the fifth and sixth minutes--it's even rousing enough to rile Bryan Spring into some risky drumming. But, with the advent of the seventh minute, everybody congeals again to a uniform goal, allowing the main bass melody to carry everybody to the eighth minute where they devolve the song in order to break into a new up-tempo motif with a cruisin' groove similar to that of the album's opening song. This then plays out in a jam as John and Klaus express their unbound feelings through organ, electric piano, and sax. Weird but powerful and definitely memorable. (17.5/20)

6. "Horizon beyond" (6:46) a fairly straightforward composition that is made so dynamic and entertaining by Wolfgang and Bryan. Plus, the sax play on this one (soprano) is one of the better/more accessible ones (for me). Even John's Hammond organ solo in the fifth and sixth minutes is great (though, admittedly, made better by Bryan Spring's drumming and Wolfgang Schmid's matching bass play). Nice melodies coming from both Klaus and Wolfgang. (14/15)

7. "The cat from Katmandu" (4:38) opens with a bass-and-drums straightaway: and then the multi-track conglomeration of several of Klaus' saxes presenting the melody (which is also quite catchy). And the throbbing organ chords in the background add a ton to the groove--a groove that becomes rather trance-inducing to we on the dance floor! This is also a sound that previews the sound that American saxophonist David Sanborn becomes so well known for. (9.75/10)

Total Time: 41:32

Due to superior production attention and techniques, even in 1972 Passport was exhibiting sound far in advance of that of most record companies in the USA; the production value here sounds like something from 1975 or 1976! (I urge you to compare this album to other 1972 releases in the jazz, rock and prog world: you will be very hard-pressed to find anything to measure up to this one.) The band have Dieter Dierks and Jörge Scheuermann at Dieter's state-of- the art home-based recording studio in Stommeln as well as bandleader (and producer) Klaus Doldinger's almost anal- retentive attention to detail to thank for this. The music, however, is often built around either 1) rather simple ideas and structures or 2) Klaus' fiery saxophone solos. Though there is no denying that Klaus is a very skilled saxophone player, his sound and style does absolutely nothing to help win me over into the crowd of saxophone fans. I'll even go further in saying that it is most often the work of his band mates that engages me despite my aversion to saxophone leads. While many reviewers find it difficult to find skill or accomplishment in the instrumental performances on this album, I find myself so impressed that I wonder if I'm listening to the same album these other reviewers are listening to. Drummer Bryan Spring and certainly bass player Wolfgang Schmid are very dynamic, engaging, even exciting to listen to, while keyboardist John Mealing is definitely no slouch. What are these other reviewers hearing/seeing that I'm missing? The sound recording is so clear and pristine that each musicians' contributions are fully on display; there can be no questioning their skill and talent--and with the knowledge of Klaus Doldinger's rather exacting expectations and standards, I find it hard to find fault in these performances: they're most likely doing exactly what Klaus has asked of them--and I hear a ton of creative inputs coming from each and every musician through each and every song!

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of rockin' and funky Jazz-Rock Fusion that feels two to three years ahead of the curve on the historical J-R Fuse trajectory. The sound production alone is well-worth any prog-lover's attention and appreciation: You gotta hear it to believe it!

Uber-talented guitarist Jukka Huaru is back with, unfortunately, his only other album as band-leader/featured soloist and composer. The sound and collaborators' inputs are much more cohesive on this album.

1. "Enema Syringe" (5:45) what opens as a full minute of displaying MAHVISHNU ORCHESTRA fire turns RETURN TO FOREVER at 1:20 with the introduction of the MiniMoog. At 1:45 then it sleakly slides over into pure JAN AKKERMAN territory before morphing magically into LARRY CORYELL and then GEORGE DUKE to JOE ZAWINUL-led WEATHER REPORT for the finish. The accompanying bass, drums, and keyboard playing is nothing short of miraculous! Amazing! Even if it is a bit imitative and even plagiaristic, this is pure Jazz-Rock Fusion perfection! (10/10)

2. "When I Met My Wondergirl" (8:52) beautiful and spacious LONNIE LISTON SMITH-like Cosmic Music with some awesome JAN AKKERMAN-like tone and feeling up top, mixed with the piano, sax, and bass (this latter grâce à the addition of Pekka Pohjola). The exposition takes a long time of stop-and-go before finally settling down into a fairly straightforward flowing "ballad" in the fourth minute. Just following the work of the two bass players is pure bliss--such a humbling joy! (19/20)

3. "Waltz Bourgeois" (4:20) interesting near-avant garde music of not-so melodic but more harmonically-conscientious musical constructs. This is closer to true jazz and the future avant waves of Jazz/Jazz-Rock than any of the other songs on the album. (8.875/10)

4. "Episode (Santiago 11. 9. 73)" (12:37) Now we are definitely in advanced WEATHER REPORT territory, complete with some excellent Wayne Shorter-like soprano sax and Heikki Virtanen's Jaco-like bass thrumming. Even the percussion play sounds like Acuña/Alias/Badrena trio and the clavinet and other keys like Joe Zawinal. The only thing that sounds different is Tomi Salminen's drum play, which sounds far more Lenny White. But then Jukka's lead guitar work sounds so much like that of NOVA's Corrado Rustici. Great, rich Fender Rhodes sound from Jukka Linkola--which peaks with the awesome solo in ninth minute. This is then followed by a great LARRY CORYELL-like guitar solo. I love this Latinized song! Just when it sounds like it's drawing to a close in the eleventh minute, the military drums and droning low-end piano chord-pounding keep it going so that Jukka and Teemu can play out for another minute. (23.5/25)

5. "Elegy (for Victor Jara)" (4:11) here we get a cross between Al Di Meola and Jan Akkerman in guitar style and support sound palette performing a lovely little lushly-surrounded Spanish acoustic guitar [iece that eventually goes electric guitar in its second half (not unlike Jan's "Soft" and "Hard Vanilla" songs on Focus' Mother Focus album). (9.3333/10)

6. "Goodbye Pinochet" (3:05) more Latin-infused high-speed Jazz-Rock Fusion of the Chick Corea kind, even to the degree of Jukka Linkola's keyboard play and the excellent play from the rhythm corps, though Jukka's guitar play here sounds more like the Toto Blanke side of Jan Akkerman or even a little of Al Di Meola's plucky-muted stuff. A great, peppy, tightly-coordinated song! (9.5/10)

Total Time 38:50

I can understand reviewers who disparage Jukka's conformity to the styles and sounds of the course that "standardized" (Third Wave) Jazz-Rock Fusion artists had taken, but I cannot help but extoll the amazing compositions and performances exhibited through this extraordinary lineup of musicians on this record. And, yes, Jukka's creativity on his 1972 debut was so high and so individualistic, but I am much happier with the overall orchestration and sound engineering of these compositions than those of Information. This is what "peak" Jazz-Rock Fusion should sound like!

A/five stars; a masterpiece of fully-formed, superlatively-engineered Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. I feel so lucky to have been allowed to know this music!

The Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion scene is taking off--and not just in the circles emanating from Wigwam!

1. "Mai-Ling" (6:16) interesting whole-band carry of the main melody while the simple militaristic rhythm section supports beneath. The two guitar tracks and saxophones are the most erudite--even if they are repeating "exotic" folk Eastern European melodies for the first three minutes. The second motif of guitar-led drums and bass only is a much better indicator of the high proficiency each musician possesses. Drummer Tapani Ikonen and bassist Heikki Virtanen impress (as does Jukka)! While the first part of this song sounded hokey and poorly planned and engineered, the second half more than makes up for it. (9/10)

2. "Room 1972" (1:52) sounds like music created to accompany a particular scene from an old silent film. A lot of sensibilities drawn from orchestrated classical music. (4.375/5)

3. "Jamsession the Finnish Yes Federation's Skinheaded Board" (1:33) a very entertaining Cheech and Chong-like skit in which a glossaphiliac expresses himself to his drug-stupored mate in multiple European languagall of which prefaces a spirited outburst of New Orleans jazz-rock. A very memorable song. (5/5)

4. "No More Blues" (6:55) a song that uses music to express humor in a very sophisticated, almost jazzy-avant-garde fusion way. Multiple tracks moving through their improvised melody-making as if separately but it all works harmonically and counterpointedly. At 2:25 the band switches to a different path--one that is more high-speed Hendrix/CREAM-like blues-rock. At the same time I hear a lot of influence from CHICAGO and BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS. (13.5/15)

5. "Evil" (6:08) what starts out as a kind of jazzy variation of the opening of Ravel's "Bolero" turns more FOCUS-like with some excellent speed electric guitar play played over some beautifully woven folk melodies (especially from violinist Juhani Poutanen). The virtuosic similarities in melody and style between Jukka and Jan Akkerman are rather striking. Very creative, inventive song with some flashes of true brilliance from Jukka. A top three song. (9.25/10)

6. "Splitting" (3:24) jazz drums, bluesy electric bass, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and wah-wah distorted guitar that sounds like John Tropea in "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Nice display of skills and compositional capabilities--though the bassist always sounds a bit in his own universe. I do, however, like the disparate inputs of the horns and other instruments: it's cacophonic but somehow works as a cohesive weave. (9/10)

7. "Information" (4:35) an awesome weave between sax, violin, bass, and electric guitar that totally predicts the early J-R Fusion style of the great Jean-Luc Ponty. Awesome song. A top three for sure. (9.25/10)

8. "Refilling Valve" (3:40) strumming of the piano wires before the pianist commits to playing the keys--all the while the recording mike is obviously more focused and concerned with the sounds emanating from within the box than from through the piano frame as a whole. Some violin joins in in the second minute but then every body sits down (including the pianist and sound recording engineer) to listen to some lovely piano contemplations. I really respect the act of Jukka's giving pianist Olli Ahvenlahti this opportunity to express himself. Another quite memorable song--one that I really like. (8.875/10)

9. "What?" (4:44) opens with a motif that sounds like a song variation inspired by a motif in KING CRIMSON's "21st Century Schizoid Man." At 1:30 the band switches roads and moves onto the expressway with some standard drums, electric bass, Fender Rhodes, and electric guitar soloing (here Jukka still finding an anchor and inspiration in Robert Fripp's melody lines from "21st Century Schizoid Man"). I love Olli Ahvenlahti's Herbie Hancock-like electric piano accents thrown over the top of the frenetic bass and drum playing. (9/10)

10. "Waltz for the Straight Relatives" (2:25) a little FOCUS-like folk ditty that is repeated over and over with different layers and soloists for its two-and-a-half minutes. (4.375/5)

Total Time 41:32

Great compositions performed beautifully by some very skilled musicians. Too bad the sound treatments and engineering choices aren't a little more creative and advanced. (I'd love to have felt a little more cohesion in the overall sound blending of each song.) Though impressive in its variety of styles and influences, I would have liked to have heard a selection of tunes that gave me a better sense of Jukka's preferences. (I know that's unfair--especially as most hyper-creatives are cursed with wanting to express each and every thought and idea flowing through them, so, I apologize.)

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of First Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion from a creative songwriter and his cast of highly-skilled instrumentalists.