THE KLAUS DOLDINGER QUARTET – Blues Happening (World Pacific Jazz – ST-20167 / LP-1968)

Label: World Pacific Jazz – ST-20167

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold / Country: US / Released: 1968 / 69 ?

Style: Modern Jazz Fusion

Record Company – World Pacific Jazz / Printed in USA.

Design [Cover] – Günther Kieser

Engineer – Willi Schmidt

Liner Notes – Siegfried Schmidt-Joos

Producer – Siegfried E. Loch

Also the German edition on the label:

Liberty ‎– LBS 83 167 I / Series: World Pacific Jazz Series –

Matrix / Runout (A runout etched): ST-20167-1

Matrix / Runout (B runout etched): ST-20167-2

Tracklist:

A1 - Saragossa .................................................................................................. 6:39

A2 - Tempus Fugit .............................................................................................. 6:32

A3 - Face In The Night ....................................................................................... 6:51

B1 - Blues Happening ....................................................................................... 18:07

Personnel:

Klaus Doldinger – soprano (tracks: A1, A2, B1) / tenor saxophone (tracks: A3, B1)

Ingfried Hoffmann – piano (tracks: A1-A3) / organ (track B1)

Joe Quick – guitar (track B1)

Lothar Maid – bass guitar (track B1)

Helmut Kandlberger – bass (tracks: A1-B1)

Kurt Bong – horn section (track B1) / drums (track B1)

Cees See – drums / percussion (tracks: A1, B1)

Wolfgang Paap – drums /percussion (track B1)

THE KLAUS DOLDINGER QUARTET – Blues Happening, LP 1968, World Pacific Jazz stereo ST-20167 vinyl     __________     OUT OF STOCK

A pioneering and multi-talented musician with a career that has run from MOR pop onto the leading edge of experimental jazz fusion. Doldinger's history is confused. If you want to know all about his background via trad. jazz, as a James Last popular jazz and soul copyist (aka Paul Nero), onto psychedelic pop and Passport, all this is documented on the triple anthology album DOLDINGER JUBILEE (Atlantic 60073), though even that doesn't really make sense of it all.

His first rock group was Motherhood, which kind of transmuted into Passport (the other Motherhood members split off forming Hallelujah), though also during this period Klaus Doldinger also kept working in jazz under his own name, as witnessed by the three albums listed below:

BLUES HAPPENING  [LP Liberty LBS 83167] (1968)

Credited to: Klaus Doldinger Quartet

THE AMBASSADOR  [2LP Liberty LBS 83317/18] (1969)

Credited to: Klaus Doldinger Quartet

DOLDINGER  [2LP United Artists UAS 29542/43] (1973)

(Compilation, Credited to: Klaus Doldinger)

all which explore different aspects of modern jazz fusion. Numerous top Munich musicians have also been involved in Klaus' various bands (many of whom can be found on numerous MPS releases, or went onto more progressive musics with Embryo, Amon Düül II, etc.) or have become well-known afterwards, like Udo Lindenberg or Kristian Schultze for instance.

More recently, as a synthesist, Klaus has also become sought after as a film soundtrack composer, after his success with the soundtracks to "Das Boot" and "The Neverending Story". There are no doubt numerous others we don't know of. Yet above all, Doldinger is an excellent and uniquely styled saxophonist, best remembered for several excellent albums in the early-70's with his groundbreaking jazz-rock band Passport, who paralleled the likes of Isotope or Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Blues Happening is the murderous album of early Dondlinger with the musicians you just want. Very, very intriguing. Enjoy!

If you find it, buy this album!