Track Listing

1. Inner Urge
2. Isotope
3. Barrio
4. You Know I Care
5. Night and Day

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44074 in Music
• Released on: 2004-06-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
The presence of John Coltrane's pianist and drummer, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones respectively, give this quartet album weight and passion. Henderson's playing is incandescent throughout. The first three selections are exciting, probing Henderson originals that soar, but his interpretations of the Duke Pearson ballad "You Know I Care" and Cole Porter's "Night And Day" are equally vivid.

JOE HENDERSON, tenor sax; McCOY TYNER, piano; BOB CRANSHAW, bass; ELVIN JONES, drums

Customer Reviews

I Urge Jazz Fans to Buy "Inner Urge"
After a brief absence in the Blue Note catalog, I am delighted the label had the urge to reissue "Inner Urge" via the RVG series. This is by all accounts Joe Henderson's masterpiece. He made some other excellent efforts in the 1960s (several of which I have previously reviewed, including "Our Thing," "Mode for Joe" and "Straight, No Chaser") and he had a remarkable Grammy-winning comeback in the 90s, but "Inner Urge" is his best album in a storied career. Recorded on November 30, 1964, this session places the tenor saxophonist and bassist Bob Cranshaw in the company of half of the mighty Coltrane Quartet -- McCoy Tyner on piano and Elvin Jones on drums -- only days before that group would cut the jazz landmark, "A Love Supreme." It is no surprise then that Henderson sounds his most 'Trane-like at points on this disc, particularly on the title track, the searching "El Barrrio," and the Cole Porter standard "Night and Day." But in fairness, J.H. has his own unique musical voice that could never be mistaken for J.C., and much of the Coltrane comparisons should be attributed to the signature supporting style of McCoy and Elvin. In fact, one need look no further than the Monk-flavored "Isotope" or Duke Pearson's ballad "You Know I Care" to dismiss any copycat claims. "Inner Urge" is indeed its own jazz masterwork and Henderson's essential contribution to the watershed year of 1964.

Henderson's Audio-athleticism
What this album is not is a Coltrane-lite session with Joe Henderson in place of John. What it is is Joe Henderson's master work, and a high point not only for himself but for blue note and sixties jazz. This is music you might hear at the top of the hard-climbed mountain, it's the sound of truimph. Besides the hard comping Mccoy Tyner, and the on the beat fire of Elvin Jones of the Classic Coltrane Quartet, we also have Sonny Rollin's long-time sideman Bob Cranshaw, whose running base lines are elegantly plastered into the crevices of the sonic brickwork of these strong tunes. Joe Henderson's playing, and there were many instances that serve as an example as to what he could do ("state of the tenor", "in'n out", "live in japan", "four", "unity", "little johnny C", "cape verde blues", etc.), was never more insistant to communicate. Out of his tenor comes a sound of raw immediacy, desperate, and vunerable with blue-flamed emotion. But unlike, lets say the live album he cut in Japan, "inner urge" isn't all about Joe, it's a fine-tuned collaboration, a sort of Joe "meets the rhythm section". At times within the music on this album there is a feeling of controled chaos, that Tyner and Jones, not to mention Cranshaw, were much used to in regards to their usual leaders. At points the music feels like it might fall apart, but at each instance Henderson comes roaring through, fueled by a sheer muscular audio-athleticism that sees the group through. Even when the tone slows down a bit on songs like "You Know I Care" there is an inner-tension running beneath the sweet veneer. When I think about "inner urge" as a whole it conjures up an image of a man running hard over a silent, dark, landscape, lost in thought, but running nonetheless, a steady slap of rubber against pavement, and fighting for breath. Joe Henderson was never better.

Immaculate 60s release
If you fundamentally like JoeHen's sound and style, you should definitely have this release. In general it is of dark, brooding, often Lydian (mode) tonality though of course Night and Day is bright and upbeat. It's ambience is superb, the improvising is heady and daring, and it is definitely one of Joe's great recordings. A short list of some others would be Red Clay, Straight Life, Mode for Joe, State of the Tenor (1 and 2), and the obscure Leaving this Planet (Charles Earland). All colossal.