 Ra's arrangements initially showed a degree of bebop influence, but the band members resisted the new music, despite Henderson's encouragement.In 1948, Blount performed briefly in a trio with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and violinist Stuff Smith, both preeminent musicians.There are no known recordings of this trio, but a home recording of a Blount-Smith duet from 1953 appears on "Sound Sun Pleasure", and one of Sun Ra's final recordings in 1992 was a rare sideman appearance on violinist Billy Bang's "Tribute to Stuff Smith".