Soul Finger, released on Limelight in 1965, marks
Lee Morgan's and
Freddie Hubbard's final studio appearances as members of
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
Morgan had been an on-again-off-again member since the 1950s, but his tenure with
Blakey through the early 1960s remained fairly constant. The set also includes a young
John Hicks on piano, bassist
Victor Sproles, and veteran saxophonist
Lucky Thompson. While this set may lack the sheer high-energy crackle of some of the Jazz Messengers Blue Note dates, there is quite a bit to enjoy here. The title track kicks the joint off in bluesy style with the three-horn front line in a slightly dissonant intro before moving in a fingerpopping groover with some killer wood by
Sproles used as fills between lines. The spunky Latin groove of "Buh's Bossa" offers
Blakey's consummate chops accenting the knotty, sometimes snaky melody line with some excellent comp work by
Hicks.
Thompson's underrated soprano work makes a beautiful appearance on "Spot Session," a sultry little groover. The real highlight of the set is "Freedom Monday," that offers taut hard bop lyric lines, extended harmonies in the front line -- especially between
Hubbard and
Morgan -- and a smoking Afro-Cuban rhythmic line highlighted by
Blakey and
Hicks. The program here showcases the sounds of a band in transition to be sure, but also the sound of a group with nothing to lose; in other words, plenty of chances get taken that might not otherwise fly. This date is well worth seeking out for fans of
Blakey's long running, ever evolving unit. ~ Thom Jurek