Passport To Darkness (1959)

A superb group featuring pianist Dwike Mitchell and bassist/French horn player Willie Ruff, the Mitchell-Ruff Duo has been recorded erratically and rarely reissued on CDs. This 1959 Town Hall concert is a recreation of an earlier performance in Moscow that could not be recorded due to problems with the Soviet regime…

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 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 (1971's Passport) also included Olaf Kübler on second tenor and flute, organist Jimmy Jackson, electric bassist Lother Meid, and drummer Udo Lindenberg.

Passport To Romance (1956). Come aboard the S.S. Percy Faith for a simulated cruise to the romantic and exotic sites of Europe via Passport to Romance and its 12 orchestral pop instrumentals. Faith, our musical tour guide, leads us through the bright, enticing scenery of the Old World, pointing out tourist attractions with one hand while conducting his orchestra with the other. You'll see the "Heart of Paris," see "The Portuguese Washerwomen" at work, and enjoy a fine "Madeira." Passport to Romance was Faith's first charting album, and made use of the extended format to create a theme of travel in music, which later became a hallmark of 101 Strings albums. Faith's orchestrations are cheerful and varied, evoking sunny days and happy times; the music conjures film images of cafés, gondola rides, and tango dancers…

Archie Shepp plays Sydney Bechet.
On this recording you can hear: Michelle Wiley Vocals, Archie Shepp on Soprano sax, flute, piano, Charles McGhee on Trumpet, Charles Eubanks on piano, Santi de Briano on Bass, John Betsch on drums.