Several “final” recordings have been floating down the pike of late, Art Pepper’s last stand in Washington, D.C. and the swan song conclave between Frank Lowe and Billy Bang to name just two. Add this Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen disc to their number. Pederson needs no introduction, his bass having served as stout anchor on literally hundreds of sessions in virtually every vernacular of jazz. To further quantify his fecundity, he’s recorded over fifty albums with Oscar Peterson, alone. This collection couples material from two concerts: the first in Denmark in ’99 and the second, the touted final outing, in a German studio six years later just five weeks prior to his passing. Both find him in the company of working trio mates of his concluding decade, guitarist Ulf Wakenius and drummer Jonas Johansen.
Last dates characteristically carry with them a high degree of after-the-fact gravitas and it’s customary for listeners to lend somewhat forgiving ears as a result. What’s initially most vexing about this set isn’t Pedersen’s chops, his expertise on the bass strings is very nearly on par with his usual high standard. No, what’s most frown-inducing is his choice of amplification. Pedersen regularly plugged in from the late 60s forward, but here it almost sounds as if he’s playing a fretless electric, Jaco Pastorius style, without commensurate clarity and aplomb. The result is often a flabby, gelid tone that’s particularly distressing when he plays fast runs, the notes bunching up and bleeding together into a wobbly mess. It’s better on slower pieces like the opening Bach bagatelle where his guitar-like phrasing recalls Steve Swallow.
Also problematic is the sequencing of the first concert sampling where the trio bounces from one song form to the next in what feels like obligatory medley fashion. Open with a classical piece, follow with a blues. Then a samba treatment of “The Song Is You” and the rock-injected bop of Wakenius’ “Lines” topped off by the ballad “A Nightengale Sang in Barkley Square.” The playing is technically sound, but the delivery still a bit perfunctory. The last five cuts from improve on things with a ripping version of Bird’s “My Little Suede Shoes”, treatments of two Scandanavian folk songs and a Gershwin ballad. By that point, Pedersen’s bulbous tone is less distracting and I found subsequent spins to have a further ameliorating effect. This set may not do him the justice he deserves as an epitaph, but once one gets aclimatized to the particulars there is decent music to be found.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on August 24, 2007 6:49 AMNHOP wanted to be a free player in his teens. Albert Ayler liked him and Niels is on My Name is Albert Ayler. Cecil misfired him if you believe Sunny Murray's interview on Paris Transat. I loved the duo on steeple Chase with Paul Bley that I have listened dozen of times when I had twenty years and only twenty five vinyls of free and creative jazz in the mid seventies. He recorded also with John Tchicaï (when John played alto) and Pierre Dorge in 1975 for Steeple Chase, a label where he was at home. Loved his duos with Kenny Drew on S-C. In the early and mid seventies, Steeple Chase was the premier label of creative modern jazz out of the "bop" tradition with some novelties of the free scene (Dyani, Dorge, Khan Jamal, Tchicaï), fortunately.
NHOP was among the very best . One good friend of mine, Jean Demey ( on my recent cd The Mercelis Concert) did one double bass master class with him and Jean became three times more confident after that. Heard NHOP play with the great Tete Montoliu in the seventies and the eighties. Incredible . But i didnt like his viking style with Marsh & Konitz in quintet. Question of taste.
heard also with Philippe Catherine....... But I never had time enough to check his output later....... seemed a bit jazzrockish fr my taste.
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