- Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
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Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen 
Background information Also known as NHØP Born May 27, 1946 Origin Osted, Denmark Died April 19, 2005 (aged 58) Genres Bop
Hard bop
Avant-garde jazzOccupations Double-bassist Instruments Double-bass Years active 1960s–2005 Associated acts Kenny Drew
Oscar Peterson
Joe PassNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (Danish pronunciation: [nilsˈhɛneŋ ˈɶɐ̯sdəð ˈpɛðɐsn], May 27, 1946 – April 19, 2005) was a Danish jazz bassist known for his impressive technique and an approach that could be considered an extension of the innovative work of Scott LaFaro. Born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, Pedersen was known as The Great Dane with the Never-Ending Name,[1] or sometimes simply as NHØP.[2]
Contents
Biography
As a child, Pedersen played piano. As a teenager, he started learning to play contrabass and at the age of 14, he began his professional jazz career in Denmark with his first band, Jazzkvintet 60, while studying. Later on, he was engaged as the regular bassist at Copenhagen's Jazzhus Montmartre. At 17, he had already turned down an offer to join the Count Basie orchestra, mainly because he was too young to get legal permission to live and work as a musician in America.
During the 1960s, Pedersen played with several important American jazzmen who were touring or resident in Denmark, including Ben Webster,[3] Bill Evans, Brew Moore, Bud Powell, Count Basie, Roy Eldridge, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie, Jackie McLean, Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins, and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald; he also played with Jean-Luc Ponty. He became the bassist of choice whenever a big-name musician was touring Copenhagen.
Preferring to remain in his native Denmark, Pedersen turned down an offer to become the regular bassist in The Oscar Peterson Trio, following Ray Brown's departure, but played with him continually whenever Peterson toured Europe. During visits to the United States, he also contributed to several avant-garde recordings with Anthony Braxton, Albert Ayler, and Archie Shepp.
He was awarded Best Bass Player Of The Year by Downbeat Critics' Poll in 1981.[4]
Pedersen worked in duo and trio arrangements with pianist Kenny Drew, recording over 50 albums together. He also worked with Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Pass and recorded extensively as a leader. His best known songs are "My Little Anna", "Jaywalkin' ", and "The Puzzle", as well as jazz arrangements of traditional Danish folk songs. He was awarded the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1991.
Pedersen died of heart failure in 2005 at the age of 58 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was survived by his wife, Solveig, and his three children.[5] Oscar Peterson wrote:
"From the first night that my dear friend Audrey Genovese of Chicago played a Dexter Gordon record that featured Niels Pedersen on bass, I realized that this musical giant and I might someday have the pleasure and occasion of not just meeting but also playing together. After hearing this phenomenal talent on bass, I realized that somehow, someday we should meet, thereby giving me the opportunity to also play with him. This vision and thought took place in the early 1970s, when I was fortunate enough to be able to invite him to join my then trio. "
“”Oscar Peterson, writing in Jazztimes.[6]Discography
- My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 (with Albert Ayler)
- Kirk in Copenhagen 1963 (with Roland Kirk)
- Ben Webster in Denmark 1965-1971 (Kenny Drew, NHØP, Alex Riel, Teddy Wilson and more) Live at Danish Radio studios, Jazzhus Montmartre and Odd Fellow Palæet - Universal Music Denmark
- One Flight Up 1964 (with Dexter Gordon)
- Sunday Walk 1969 (with Jean-Luc Ponty)
- Great Connection 1971 (with Oscar Peterson and Louis Hayes)
- Duo 1973 (with Kenny Drew)
- The Trio 1973 (with Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass)
- Jaywalkin' 1975 (with Philip Catherine)
- Double Bass 1976 (with Sam Jones)
- Pictures 1976 (with Kenneth Knudsen)
- Live at Montmartre (vols. 1 and 2) 1977 (with Stan Getz)
- Roy Eldridge 4/Montreux 77 1977
- Tania Maria 1978
- Chops 1978 (with Joe Pass)
- The Touch of Your Lips 1979 (with the Chet Baker Trio)
- Daybreak (Live In Montmartre Vol.1) 1979 (with the Chet Baker Trio)
- This is Always (Live In Montmartre Vol.2) 1979 (with the Chet Baker Trio)
- Someday My Prince Will Come 1979 (with the Chet BakerTrio)
- Northsea Nights 1979 (with Joe Pass)
- Night Child 1979 (with The Oscar Peterson Quartet)
- Tania Maria & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen 1979
- George Shearing/Louis Stewart/NHOP, "The MPS Trio Sessions", 4 CDs (Universal reissue) 1977 - 1981
- Bluesology 1981 (with Dado Moroni)
- Kansas City 6 1981 (Count Basie)
- Looking at Bird 1981 (with Archie Shepp)
- Eximious 1982 (with Joe Pass)
- The Eternal Traveller 1984
- Heart to Heart 1986 (with Palle Mikkelborg)
- Play with Us 1987 (with Louis Hjulmand)
- Melo Perquana, ( 1988 mit Atilla Engin. Atilla Engin Group, Olufsen Records Denmark)
- Hommage/Once upon a Time 1990 (with Palle Mikkelborg)
- Alice 1991 (with Maria João and Aki Takase)
- Scandinavian Wood 1992 (with Ole Kock Hansen and DR UnderholdningsOrkestret)
- Uncharted Land 1992
- Ambiance 1993 (with Danmarks Radios Big Band)
- Trio 2 1993 (with Philip Catherine and Billy Hart)
- To a Brother 1993
- The song is a fairytale 1993 (with Niels Lan Doky and Alex Riel, music by Frederik Magle)
- Misty Dawn 1994 (with Niels Lan Doky and Alex Riel)
- Those who Were 1996
- Friends Forever 1997
- This Is All I Ask 1998
- Concerts Inédits Vol. 2 — Duo 2000 (with Michel Petrucciani)
- Simple Complex 2004 with Pianist Jon Weber
References
- ^ "Celebrated jazz bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen has passed away". The Copenhagen Post. 2005-04-29. http://www.cphpost.dk/news/1-latest-news/13563.html. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Allmusic". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p85979/biography. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ "Ørsted Pedersen Recording With Ben Webster 1965-71". Danish National Library, statsbiblioteket.dk. http://www.statsbiblioteket.dk/search/showrecord.jsp?record_id=sb_3197543. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- ^ "1981 DownBeat Critics Poll". Downbeat.com. 1981-08-3 1. http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=707. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ "N-H. Orsted Pedersen, 58, Bassist in Danish Jazz Scene, Dies" (April 21, 2005) New York Times
- ^ Peterson, Oscar. "Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (5.27.46-4.19.05)". Jazztimes.com. http://jazztimes.com/articles/25476-niels-henning-orsted-pedersen. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
External links
Categories:- 1946 births
- 2005 deaths
- Bebop double-bassists
- Danish jazz double-bassists
- Danish jazz musicians
- Deaths from myocardial infarction
- Enja Records artists
- Grammy Award winners
- Hard bop double-bassists
- SteepleChase Records artists
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