Jazz Archives

This band is Doldinger's baby and this was the first line-up to record an album and tour. It is also one of the better album of that first era (very visible because all sleeve artwork are by the same artist) and of course most progheads will be interested in this era instead of the second one (stating with 77's Iguacu) that will be more Latino-fusion - a bit like later Weather Report or Spiro Gyra.
Abracadabra and the title track are the two highlight of this album but all tracks are strong. We hover around a very KB jazz-rock with Doldinger and Roberts on KB (Doldinger also doubles up on Sax) and the guitar is somewhat not present enough as Schmid doubles up on bass and guitar! The main influences I can think of is a bit of Canterbury style as the KB sometimes remind me of Caravan's David Sinclair's organs but also some Bundles-era Soft Machine.
Outside these consideration , Hand Made is a real excellent album well worth investigating !

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Passport - Hand Made (1973)

1. Abracadabra (7:20)
2. The connexion (5:33)
3. Yellow dream (4:20)
4. Proclamation (2:39)
5. Hand made (9:26)
6. Puzzle (4:07)
7. The quiet man (4:43)

Credits
- Curt Cress / drums
- Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, electric piano, synthesizers, Mellotron
- Frank Roberts / electric piano, organ
- Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar