Inner Urge is a jazz tune written by Joe Henderson and the title track of his 1966 Blue Note album Inner Urge. It was recorded on November 30, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs with McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums and Bob Cranshaw on bass, and the group showcases Henderson in a hard bop post-bop setting with modal touches. The piece is built in a 16-8-16 form and conveys an urgent, searching mood that reflected Henderson’s struggle to navigate the New York City maze at the time; the title track has since become a jazz standard. The album, released at the end of March 1966, also features Isotope, a Monk homage, and El Barrio, inspired by Spanish musical sensibilities, along with You Know I Care and Night and Day. Inner Urge is widely regarded as a high point in Henderson’s career and a milestone for Blue Note.
