Bud Shank Slippery When Wet - Original Soundtrack (LP, Japan)

(World Pacific Records) 10 tracks, including inlay + obi

Until 1958, jazz music in films had mostly been confined to atmospheric background music for crime and criminality. But that summer, photographer and producer Bruce Brown was shooting a film about surfers cavorting in Hawaii and decided he wanted a jazz score that would capture the outdoor summer atmosphere full of movement and action.

He decided on the Bud Shank Quartet to provide a musical backdrop for the surfboarders and the waves. Shank, who alternated between playing alto sax and flute, came across as very confident and purposeful, especially supported by the excellent duo of Peacock and Flores, accompanied by Billy Bean on guitar.

The resulting music is a fine, swinging selection of modern jazz that perfectly captures the feeling of the subject.