| 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 jazz |
| Occupations | Double-bassist |
| Instruments | Double-bass |
| Years active | 1960s–2005 |
| Associated acts | Kenny Drew Oscar Peterson Joe Pass |
Niels-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]
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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. "