Holiday in Brazil 180g LP
Bud Shank
Bud Shank Holiday in Brazil
180g 33RPM LP | Stereo
CATALOG: IMP6049
BCN: 856276002619
MSRP: $39.99 USD
Street Date: March 20, 2026
Gorgeously Jazzy Follow-Up to Almeida’s & Shank’s Landmark Cross-Genre Classic, Brazilliance, Vol. 1!
Mastered from the Original Analog Tape by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering!
First Time on AAA HQ-180g Vinyl! Pressed at Record Technology!
In 1953, Brazilian master guitarist Laurindo Almeida and altoist/flutist Bud Shank collaborated on their first LP for Richard Bock’s Pacific Jazz label. Laurindo Almeida Quartet Featuring Bud Shank was a groundbreaking recording, blending American jazz with Brazilian samba for the first time, years before the advent of bossa nova. Almeida and Shank enjoyed such early success with the record that they reunited five years later for their second collaboration, Holiday in Brazil (alternatively titled Brazilliance, Vol. 2).
Whereas Brazilliance, Vol. 1 was led by Almeida and focused on the traditional Brazilian influences, Vol. 2 allowed Shank room to contribute more of his signature silky soloing and energetic motifs. The vibe is almost as relaxed, but bristles with an adventurous energy and swing that serves Almeida’s arrangements and solid guitar accompaniment perfectly. The session is immeasurably enhanced by the adept chops of bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Chuck Flores, while Dayton “Bones” Howe’s warm and detailed recording brings forth every nuance of this inspired date.
Shank and Almeida’s harmonious collaborations continued into the 1970s, forming the famed L.A. jazz group The LA4 with icons Ray Brown and Chuck Flores (later replaced by Shelly Manne, then Jeff Hamilton). Together, these titans would record lauded albums for Concord Records, including the direct-to-disc audiophile classic Just Friends.
Our deluxe package reproduces the reverse-tip-on jacket and brown paper label of the original release. Like Barefoot
Adventure (IMP6048 LP / IMP8330 SACD), Holiday in Brazil is a perfect summer jazz confection: light, soulful, and breezy. It goes down easy and satisfies deeply. Impex Records is proud to reintroduce this musically stunning and sonically superb Holiday in Brazil.
Features
- AAA 33.3rpm HQ-180g Vinyl LP
- First Time on 180g Vinyl
- Mastered from the Original Analog Tape by Grammy® Winner Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
- Pressed on High-Quality Vinyl at Record Technology, Inc.
- Deluxe Packaging Reproduces the Reverse Tip-On Jacket & Brown Paper Label of the Original Release
Side One:
- Simpatico
- Rio Rhapsody
- Nocturno
- Little Girl Blue
- Choro in “A”
Side Two:
- Mood Antigua
- The Color of Her Hair
- Lonely
- I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
- Carioca Hills
“It’s so good. It’s so detailed and it’s so organic-sounding that I think that if you guys have an extra $40 laying around, you’re not wasting your money on this record. This is superb sounding…Holiday in Brazil? I didn’t want my holiday to end!”
-Steve Westman
Watch Steve’s video HERE!
“This is exactly the kind of release that highlights what makes Impex so compelling as a label. In a reissue landscape often dominated by familiar titles, this offers something increasingly rare: an unfamiliar work, thoughtfully produced and beautifully executed, that reveals its value over time.”
-Scott Wilson, Audiophilia
Read Scott’s article HERE!
“As expected, the Impex remaster of the original LP sounds superb, although it’s a shame that the program only runs for half an hour. You can’t get enough of this delicious stew.”
-Peter Bruwasser, The Absolute Sound, July/August 2026, Music 5/5, Sonics 5/5
“The sound is super-clean and detailed, and though the musicians play quietly most of the time, the dynamics can startle when Almeida vigorously rakes the strings, and during ‘Mood Antigua,’ there’s a solo spot where Flores hits the tablas hard and it’s a jump in your seat moment. The beauty of this recording is in the tonality and dynamics of the instruments. Because the album is so sparse instrumentally, it’s easy to hear every nuance of Bud Shank’s vibrato and Laurindo Almeida’s fingerings.”
-Frank Doris, Copper
Read Frank’s article HERE!
