By the '40s, Hampton was a proven leader of both large and small ensembles, and the vibraphonist also had a keen ear for new talent. He supervised an early version of Charles Mingus' “Mingus Fingers” and memorably soloed over the modernist flourishes in the bassist's arrangement. Hampton's big bands of the period also mastered the art of the rollicking R&B riff, as on songs like “Lavender Coffin”.