Bob James & Earl Klugh-One On One (1979)

The first collaboration between jazz keyboardist and composer Bob James and veteran jazz guitarist Earl Klugh resulted in one of the finest works in the jazz fusion genre, which won a Grammy and reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Both musicians already possessed extensive experience that had led them to establish highly respected careers. Bob James debuted in the 1960s, releasing a series of solo albums. However, it wasn't until the mid-1970s and 1980s that his most acclaimed works arrived, such as "One" (1974), "Two" (1975), "Heads" (1977), and "Double Vision", the latter a collaboration with David Sanborn that won Best Jazz Album at the 1986 Grammy Awards. Earl Klugh, for his part, began his long professional career in 1976, releasing albums focused on light jazz sounds from that year onward. To date, he has released around twenty albums, almost always featuring nylon-string acoustic guitar. Albums like "Dream Come True" (1980), "Nightsongs" (1985), "Whispers and Promises" (1989), and "Naked Guitar" (2005) were also nominated for Best Jazz Album at the Grammy Awards. In this first release entitled "One On One", the duo showcases a style close to the sounds of jazz-pop, with a repertoire full of exquisite melodic compositions and silky and irresistible pieces perfect for easy listening.

Passport-Second Passport (1972)

The German band Passport's second album continues to showcase the fluid jazz-rock/fusion sound they established on their debut a year earlier. For this new album, Klaus Doldinger is the only remaining member of the previous lineup, a clear indication of his continued leadership. He recruited drummer Bryan Spring, keyboardist John Mealing, and bassist/guitarist Wolfgang Schmid. "Second Passport" displays a vigorous and energetic jazz sound that also incorporates some experimentation, yet proves quite appealing to a wide audience, as evidenced by several inspired tracks such as "Mandragora", "Nexus", "Fairy Tale", "Registration O", and "The Cat From Kathmandu". With this album, Passport achieved an even more balanced sound than their debut, seamlessly blending jazz, rock, and fusion through avant-garde and progressive elements.

Passport-Looking Thru (1973)

Passport's fourth album, and as with all their previous releases, frontman Klaus Doldinger recruited a nearly entirely new lineup. However, this time he managed to bring together some of the musicians who would remain on the next four albums, confirming that the saxophonist had finally found his ideal formation. These members were keyboardist Kristian Schulze, drummer Curt Cress, and bassist Wolfgang Schmidt. With this lineup now complete, Doldinger crafted another easy-listening jazz fusion album, incorporating some avant-garde elements, such as the progressive title track. Despite these avant-garde and progressive sounds, it remains quite accessible, with a rhythm that is often fast-paced and tight. For many, this is their closest album to krautrock in its jazz-rock vein, due to the light improvisations, funky rhythms, and atmospheric, spacious keyboards. Tracks like the jazz-rock anthem "Eternal Spiral" showcase a slight shift towards more energetic territory, partly due to Cress's driving drumming. Jazz fusion is present in the catchy "Rockport" and "Tarantula", while the ethereal "Things to Come" and the excellent "Zwischenspiel" make for another enjoyable and outstanding album from the iconic German group.

Passport-Iguaçu (1977)

With their seventh album, the German group Passport embraced the innovative sounds of Caribbean jazz and funk, influenced by the melodies of mainstream, commercial smooth jazz. The lineup that entered the recording studio for this album, titled after the waterfalls located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, consisted of Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, organ, and synthesizers), Curt Cress (drums), Roy Louis (guitar), Wolfgang Schmid (bass), and Elmer Louis (percussion), along with a number of Brazilian percussionists such as Wilson Das Neves, Pedro Santos, Marcello Salazar, Noel Manuel Pinto, and Clélio Ribeiro. Tracks with a distinct Caribbean/African flavor, such as "Sambukada" and "Iguaçu", alternate with the jazz-funk of "Aguamarinha", "Guna Guna", "Heavy Weight", and "Praia Lame", and the jazz fusion of "Bird of Paradise". In short, “Iguaçu” is another excellent jazz fusion/funk/rock album released in the 70s.

Passport-Garden Of Eden (1979)

Around the middle of 1979, the German band Passport, led by Klaus Doldinger, released their ninth studio album, "Garden of Eden". This album was preceded by several lineup changes, including the addition of guitarist Kevin Mulligan, who replaced Roy Louis. The rest of the lineup remained the same as on their previous album, "Ataraxia": Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, keyboards), Willy Ketzer (drums), Hendrik Schaper (keyboards), and Dieter Petereit (bass). Following the stylistic path of "Ataraxia", "Garden of Eden" blends light jazz fusion with jazz rock, creating a rather pleasant and sophisticated sound. Doldinger's captivating saxophone and Mulligan's infectious rhythms drive a sound that, at times, hints at the progressive jazz rock style of their early years. Tracks like the atmospheric "Big Bang", the semi-progressive "Garden Of Eden", the melodic "Snake", the jazz-funk "Gates Of Paradise", the southern jazz-gospel "Good Earth Smile" or the cheerful "Children's Dance" and "Dreamware", make up a splendid album that brings together the latest jazz trends of the late seventies, such as jazz fusion, jazz-rock and easy-listening melodic jazz.

Passport-Hand Made (1973)

In 1973, Klaus Doldinger finalized his band Passport by adding two talented musicians: drummer Curt Cress and bassist/guitarist Wolfgang Schmid. They joined Doldinger himself (saxophone and keyboards) and Frank Roberts (piano and Hammond organ). This was the first album in which Doldinger used the Mellotron, leaving behind the experimental and avant-garde sounds of his first two works. With this lineup, the German band released their third album, "Hand Made", which features a mix of clear space jazz fusion tracks like "The Connexion", "Yellow Dream", "Proclamation", and "The Quiet Man", and classic, dynamic jazz rock in tracks such as "Abracadabra", "Hand Made", and "Puzzle". With this third release, Passport clearly moved closer to a more accessible and compelling jazz rock sound with distinct progressive influences.

Passport-Doldinger (1971)

The German band Passport became one of the greatest European jazz-rock acts thanks to their intelligent combination of the jazz fusion of the British Canterbury sound and the atmospheric and spacey elements of German krautrock. With their debut album, considered a masterpiece, this band, led by saxophonist and keyboardist Klaus Doldinger, already hinted at their distinctive style, replete with keyboards, saxophone solos, psychedelic influences, and a subtle bluesy foundation, all underpinned by meticulous instrumental precision and a high degree of accessibility. Although energetic jazz rock is present in some parts of the album, such as "Uranus" or "Madhouse Jam", the overall style here is more relaxed and linear than its North American contemporaries, giving the music a more cosmic and spacey sound ("Lemuria's Dance", "Schirokko", "Hexensabbat", "Nostalgia" or "Continuation"), undoubtedly due to the intensive use of modern digital synthesizers, an innovation that distinguishes them from other jazz rock/fusion albums released at that time, which used analog keyboards such as the Hammond organ, electric pianos or first-generation synthesizers.

Gary Glitter-Remember Me This Way (1974)

Gary Glitter's story is marked by his perpetual second-rate status within Glam Rock. Although he briefly rivaled contemporaries like T. Rex and Sweet, he never achieved the massive success or recognition of these or other artists within that ambiguous musical genre of costumes and sequins. Gary Glitter's real name was Paul Gadd, and he often appeared on stage dressed as Elvis Presley, in grotesque, sequined outfits, demonstrating his lack of self-consciousness and, at the same time, his great sense of humor. His glory days lasted only a few years, during which some of his singles were successful on the British charts. However, his greatest contribution was "Remember Me This Way", his third album, which, to everyone's surprise, climbed to number five on the charts. Recorded live at London's legendary Rainbow Theatre, it contained some of his hits that were included in his first two works, such as the fun "I'm The Leader of The Gang", "I Love You Love Me Love", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)", or "Hello! Hello! I'm Black Again".

Brewer & Shipley-Weeds (1969)

Linked to the American counterculture of the late 1960s, Brewer and Shipley are one of the most respected duos in melodic folk rock. With a style reminiscent of another great American duo, the legendary Seals and Crofts, their music was imbued with catchy, reflective melodies, with recurring themes of human rights, the American Dream, and drug references, as evidenced in their controversial 1970 song "One Toke Over The Line". In 1968, under the A&M Records label, they debuted with the album "Down in L.A. ", for which the label provided them with a number of talented musicians such as Leon Russell, Jim Messina, and Jim Gordon, among other prominent artists from the Californian music scene. "Weeds", released a year later, was notable for being released on a new record label, Karma Sutra Records, and featured collaborations with Mike Bloomfield and Nicky Hopkins. This second release featured several folk-rock covers, such as Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" and Jim Pepper's "Witchi-Tai-To". However, it was with their third album, "Tarkio" (1970), that they achieved their best work, a collection of energetic and vibrant folk-rock songs like the aforementioned "One Take Over the Line", or the highly accomplished "Song From Platte River" and "Fifty States of Freedom", where they recount, among other things, the loss of personal freedoms, all performed excellently with great, harmonious vocal work. "Shake Off The Demon" (1971) and "Rural Space" (1972) were their subsequent albums, where they continued to produce brilliant folk-rock collections, although without contributing any major hits, but with some commendable covers such as Jackson Browne's "Rock Me On The Water" and "Blues Highway" by Electric Flag guitarist Nick Gravenites. With all these albums, Brewer and Shipley managed to place themselves among the greats of American folk rock, just when the style was at the peak of its popularity, creating an exquisite musicality, with refined, harmonious melodies, very attractive to the general public.

Sunday Funnies-Benediction (1972)

Sunday Funnies, along with Rare Earth, were among the first all-white bands to sign with the predominantly Black Detroit-based Motown label. Formed in the 1960s, they gained some recognition after being taken under the wing of Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones' producer and manager at the time. Their psychedelic style, influenced by soul and gospel, is clearly reflected in their two releases. The lineup consisted of Richard Mitchell (drums), Richard Fidge (vocals), Ron Aiken (guitar, bass, and vocals), and Richard Kosinski (keyboards and vocals). For a time, under Motown's wing, Sunday Funnies toured extensively, opening for Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, and the James Gang, earning a solid reputation as a live act. Following in the footsteps of the muscular soul rock, with its rich harmonies and funky rhythms, of their first album, in 1972 they released their second album, "Benediction", in which they achieved even better arrangements and more psychedelic musical atmospheres. The raspy voice of their lead singer, the distorted guitar, a thunderous bass, and a sharp keyboard drive the album's content, as heard in the funk track "Get Funk", the energetic "Double Grace", the reflective ballad "Two Halves of a Whole", the bluesy "Keep on Trucking", the gospel-infused "Power & The Glory", the poignant "The Pillow", and the reworked version of the Motown classic "Reach Out I'll Be There". By the time the album was released, Motown had already lost what little interest it had in the band, to the point of not even bothering to promote them properly. This fact, along with other issues, would lead the band to end its days some time later, lost in the immense darkness of the tunnel of time.