"Chooch" is a Frank Morgan original featuring a Latin feel at roughly 195 BPM, built on a 32-bar AABA' form in E-flat major. The modified final A section (A') gives the composition a slightly asymmetric quality that distinguishes it from standard 32-bar tunes. Morgan takes the first chorus on alto saxophone, his solo reflecting the tune's rhythmic character with phrases that play off the Latin groove rather than imposing straight bebop phrasing over it. Conte Candoli follows with a chorus on trumpet, his bright West Coast tone fitting naturally into the Latin rhythmic context. Wild Bill Davis completes the solo rotation with a chorus on organ, his sustained chords and bluesy melodic approach adding warmth to the performance. The Latin feel provides a welcome change of pace on an album that features predominantly swing-feel tracks, and Morgan's writing shows a compositional sophistication in the way the melody and harmonic structure interact with the rhythmic framework. The three soloists maintain a conversational quality throughout, each building on the ideas of the previous improviser. As one of several Morgan originals on the album, "Chooch" demonstrates his abilities not just as an interpreter of standards and bebop repertoire but as a composer capable of crafting distinctive vehicles for improvisation.
