Isotope is a Joe Henderson original that first appeared on the 1964 recording Inner Urge and was released on the 1966 Blue Note album of the same name. The tune is a tribute to Thelonious Monk, opening with a Monk-like figure and growing into a catchy, angular melody that became a blue‑print for Henderson’s post‑bop style. The original recording features Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, in a powerful hard bop quartet setting. Isotope has since been tackled by many artists in varied formats, including a notable 1985 state‑of‑the‑tenor trio version with Ron Carter and Al Foster, and later explorations by Renee Rosnes, Mike Moreno, Stanley Clarke, Seamus Blake, and George Cables. It remains a jazz standard and a long‑running source of bold improvisation and creative reinterpretation.
Key facts:
- Composer and performer: Joe Henderson
- Original album: Inner Urge
- Recording year: 1964; Album release: 1966
- Genre: post‑bop hard bop
- Original personnel: Joe Henderson (tenor), McCoy Tyner (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Elvin Jones (drums)
- Notable later versions: Renee Rosnes Black Narcissus; Mike Moreno Third Wish; Stanley Clarke Jazz in the Garden; Seamus Blake with BANN; George Cables Icons and Influences
- Big band arrangement: Isotope published by Jazz Lines Publications as part of Joe Henderson’s repertoire
