Lee Morgan at his sassiest. 'The Sidewinder' changed the way Blue Note recorded its artists, its commercial success encouraging the company to throw in an almost obligatory funky lead-off track for many subsequent releases. The critics were disparaging at the time but the record remains one of the most enjoyable mid 1960s albums. Morgan cooks throughout, instrumentally and compositionally, and his band, featuring the elegant Barry Harris, is in winning form. It's a disc worth listening to for the tracks less talked about too, like 'Hocus Pocus' and 'Boy, What A Night'.

¡Caramba! opens with the irrepressible groove of the title track, a lengthy performance that finds the remarkable quintet stretching out on vamp with creative solo flights by Morgan, tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin, and pianist Cedar Walton, each given buoyant support by bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins. The program keeps moving from there through the intricate post-bop lines of “Suicide City” and “Cunning Lee” to the joyful “Soulita” and finally to the easy mid-tempo swing of “Helen’s Ritual,” a dedication to Morgan’s wife Helen.