Jinrikisha is an original composition by Joe Henderson, named after the Japanese human-powered rickshaw. It first appeared on his 1963 Blue Note debut Page One, recorded on June 3 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The tune is a fiery swinger with an Eastern harmonic flavor, its angular, modal melody evoking the skipping and swaying motion suggested by its namesake. Within the context of Page One, Jinrikisha provides a hard-driving counterpoint to the Latin feel of Blue Bossa and the ballad sensibility of La Mesha, showcasing Henderson's range as a composer even on his first record as a leader. Henderson had arrived in New York in 1962 after Army service and quickly made an impression sitting in with Kenny Dorham at Birdland, leading directly to their recording partnership. Page One was the first of five albums they would make together, and Jinrikisha highlights their interplay, with Dorham's restrained trumpet foil set against Henderson's full-register, Coltrane-influenced tenor work. The composition reflects the shared interest in Latin and Eastern musical ideas that characterized their collaboration. Despite appearing on one of the most celebrated hard bop debuts of the 1960s, Jinrikisha has remained a deep cut rather than entering the standard repertoire like its album mate Recorda Me. It has attracted only a handful of covers, including a guitar-led interpretation by Tony Davis that substitutes guitar for the original trumpet role, translating the tune's kinetic energy into a different instrumental setting.
