It's a curious fact that the presence of virtuoso guests on a live album can sometimes subtract from the actual quality of the performance. So it is on this release, which features splendid players like
Les McCann,
Buddy Guy,
Pete York, and
Philip Catherine on a mixed set of
Passport favorites and standards. Unfortunately, the word that best describes most of the performances is overheated. The thing that makes
Passport's work special is the uncommon delicacy with which arranger
Klaus Doldinger straddles the line between jazz and rock. Alas, on
Doldinger Jubilee '75, everything is played at full throttle, with a busy percussion background that doesn't leave space for pauses and soft passages. At times the result is embarrassing, with the band showing great enthusiasm but a complete loss of subtlety. Listeners are left with
Passport the high-energy rock band, which is good as far as energetic rock bands go, but not up to the level expected from this band or these soloists. ~ Richard Foss