Barefoot Adventure

Bud Shank

Barefoot Adventure
180-GRAM 33RPM LP | Stereo

CATALOG: IMP6048
MSRP: $39.99 USD

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Impex Records is pleased to announce a new, audiophile HQ-180 LP and SACD/Hybrid release of Bud Shank’s pivotal 1961 classic, Barefoot Adventure.

Featuring original compositions arranged by Shank for Bruce Brown’s surf film of the same name, this is a swinging, hard-driving jazz session by six top-flight session players at the height of their careers: Bud Shank (alto and baritone), Bob Cooper (tenor), Carmell Jones (trumpet), Dennis Budimir (guitar), Gary Peacock (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

The original Pacific Jazz recording features excellent sonics, precise soundstage, and wide dynamics while showcasing Shank’s elegant playing at its most adventurous, playing with supreme confidence and sophistication.

Remastered and cut to lacquer by Kevin Gray with the original 1961 analog master tapes, this ultimate vinyl edition of Barefoot Adventure will satiate the most demanding audiophile and jazz enthusiast alike!

First time on 180-gram all-analog stereo vinyl

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio with the original analog tapes

Faithfully reproduced “reverse-tip-on” jacket and labels

Pressed on highest-quality vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. for silent surfaces and accurate playback

SIDE 1

  1. BAREFOOT ADVENTURE
  2. SHOELESS BEACH MEETING
  3. JUNGLE CRUISE
  4. HOW HIGH THE MAKAHA

SIDE 2

  1. WELL, ʼPON MY SOUL
  2. ALA MOANA
  3. BRUCE IS LOOSE
  4. DANCE OF THE SEA MONSTERS

This album was a bit of a complete surprise to me. I had never heard of it or the surfing movie/documentary about the lifestyle of Hawaii and California surfers in the early sixties that it is a soundtrack for.

Subject matter aside, I can only describe the contents of this album as a marriage of high-brow surf music meets hard-boiled detective serial music meets beatnik coffee klatch music meets Bossa Nova! And it’s so out of left field that I absolutely love it! Barefoot Adventure is dripping with more style and personality per groove rotation than anything else I’ve come across in a long time.

Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Carmell Jones, Dennis Budimir, Gary Peacock, and Shelly Manne are a tightly wound musical wrecking crew and on this album, they lay down some of the hippest sounds you can imagine. I instantly feel like the ultimate “Hep cat” listening to this LP. It’s too much fun!

Sonically, Impex has done a stellar job on this release. The vinyl has a stone-quiet background, and the dynamics and dimensions of the music are outstanding given the period. It was certainly well recorded, to begin with. The album was mastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl by RTI. The packaging and print production look and feel of superior quality. A sonically satisfying and just plain fun listen. If jazz and or the surf genre seem at all interesting to you, go grab a copy!  –Carlo Lo Raso, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

“Kevin Gray’s excellent transfer imbues this record with the kind of clarity and immediacy that makes one think Bud Shank and his men could have stepped into the studio yesterday and laid down these excellent sides.” –Tom Gibbs, Positive Feedback

Read Tom’s full review HERE.

“This is a cool, sinuous jazz album musically and sonically worthy of Pacific Jazz.” –Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News

Read Ken’s full review in the April 2024 issue of Hi Fi News.

“The music composed by Shank is in places adventurous, but always grounded by first-rate musicianship, producing in places a creative tension. Carmell Jones shines on trumpet with a wonderful tone and striking improvisations throughout, while guitar enthusiasts will appreciate the unusual playing of a young Dennis Budimir, who plays loose and laid back with the time and harmonics of the music. The rest of the personnel are world-class West Coast musicians and truly excellent. The vinyl surfaces are flawless and the packaging excellent.  –Jonathan Horwich, The Absolute Sound, April 2024, Music 4/5, Sonics 4.5/5″

“…the music is fun. It is upbeat, quick-paced, horn-front-line-driven music, and each instrument is clearly defined. It is seriously good and does not forget that its top priority is to entertain — serious music that is not so serious” –Dennis Davis, The Audio Beat

Read Dennis’ full review HERE.