Joe Henderson
Inner Urge

Joe Henderson (alongside Pharoah Sanders) picked up the mantle that John Coltrane established in the early sixties. Henderson’s style owes more than a nod to that of ‘Trane, yet through the combination of his own personality and extraordinary technique, he was able to forge his own unique take on the tenor sax. ‘Inner Urge’ is one of Joe Henderson’s most impressive Blue Note releases. The Coltrane comparison is not surprising as the presence of John Coltrane Quartet members Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner emphasises. The gruff rawness of Henderson approach to the tenor is apparent especially on the self-penned tracks like ‘Inner Urge’ and ‘Isotope’. ‘El Barrio’ is an awesome cut on which the modal impressionism of ‘Trane is most audible. ‘You Know I Care’ written by Duke Pearson and Cole Porter’s ‘Night And Day’ show a softer side to Henderson on this session that was recorded on November 30 1964.