Inner Urge
| Inner Urge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Joe Henderson | ||||
| Released | End of March/early April 1966[1] | |||
| Recorded | November 30, 1964 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs | |||
| Genre | Jazz, hard bop | |||
| Length | 43:14 | |||
| Label | Blue Note BST 84189 |
|||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Joe Henderson chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | (8th ed.) |
| All About Jazz | (very favorable)[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [4] |
Inner Urge is an album by jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson released in 1966, the fourth recorded as a leader for Blue Note Records. It was recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on November 30, 1964. It features performances by pianist McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones on drums, both associated with John Coltrane,[5][6] bassist Bob Cranshaw and Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone.
The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave the album a four-star rating (of a possible four stars), describing the music as "dark and intense".[7]
The compositions[edit]
The title track, "Inner Urge", was written at a time when Henderson was "consumed by an inner urgency which could only be satisfied through this tune. During that period I was coping with the anger and frustration that can come of trying to find your way in the maze of New York, and of trying to adjust the pace you have to set in hacking your way in that city in order to just exist." "Isotope" is a tribute to Thelonious Monk's humour in his tunes, whilst "El Barrio" represents Henderson's attachment to the "Spanish musical ethos". The piece especially brings back to mind Henderson's childhood in Lima, Ohio. The saxophonist recalls giving the other musicians two simple chords, B minor and C major 7 (B phrygian)", and asking them "to play something with a Spanish feeling" on top of that. The melody was totally played off-the-cuff.[8]
Track listing[edit]
All compositions by Joe Henderson, except where noted.
- "Inner Urge" – 11:58
- "Isotope" – 9:15
- "El Barrio" – 7:15
- "You Know I Care" (Duke Pearson) – 7:22
- "Night and Day" (Cole Porter) – 7:24
Personnel[edit]
Musicians[edit]
- Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
- McCoy Tyner – piano
- Bob Cranshaw – bass
- Elvin Jones – drums
Personnel[edit]
- Alfred Lion – producer
- Francis Wolff – cover photograph
References[edit]
- ^ Billboard Apr 9, 1966
- ^ Gioffre, Daniel. "Inner Urge – Joe Henderson | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ Weinstein, Norman (2 July 2004). "Joe Henderson: Inner Urge". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 100. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ James Beaudreau. "Review at PopMatters". Retrieved 2007-07-29.
On November 30, 1964, nine days before John Coltrane would record A Love Supreme in the same room, late tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson brought two-thirds of Coltrane's rhythm section (and bassist Bob Cranshaw) into Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio and recorded an under-recognized masterpiece.
- ^ James Beaudreau. "Review at Allmusic". Retrieved 2007-07-29.
He is joined on Inner Urge by veterans of other combos: McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones from John Coltrane's unit and Sonny Rollins sideman Bob Cranshaw
- ^ Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 627. ISBN 0-14-102327-9.
- ^ Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff
