Prompted by this quite enlightening (and funny) account of the recording session by Steve Swallow (who was also an "acid pionner"!):
https://jazztimes.com/features/columns/steve-swallow-pete-la-roca/
Fun to hear back to back these driving, bottom-heavy sessions that share a common "inner" quartet (McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, James Spaulding & Howard Johnson).
He is the context indeed! (I'm not that keen on piano solo, but I love that album).
On the trio side of thing, how do you like "Japan Suite"? (I think you posted it a week or two ago; I never had a chance to hear it)
I actually don't know much about Hodes, but I like this session: blues solos and duos, recorded in 1970. This Ethan Iverson's post led me to it : https://ethaniverson.com/selections-from-the-gutter-art-hodes/