Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, May 27, 1946 – April 19, 2005) was a Danish jazz double bassist known for his impressive technique and innovative approach

Biography
Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand. As a child, Pedersen played piano. As a teenager he started learning to play double-bass and at the age of 14, while studying, he began his professional jazz career in Denmark with his first band, Jazzkvintet 60 (Danish for 'Jazz Quintet 60'). 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, 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.

He was awarded Best Bass Player Of The Year by Downbeat Critics' Poll in 1981.

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. In 1999, he co-led a duo with pianist Mulgrew Miller, touring Europe, Japan, Australia, and Korea. This format was later enlarged into a trio featuring drummer, Alvin Queen. This trio remained intact until his death.

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. Oscar Peterson wrote:

As leader

 * Jaywalkin' (SteepleChase, 1976)
 * Pictures (SteepleChase, 1976)
 * Double Bass (SteepleChase, 1976) - with Sam Jones
 * Dancing On The Tables (SteepleChase, 1979)
 * Just The Way You Are (Sonet, 1981) - with Rune Gustafsson
 * The Viking (1983)
 * The Eternal Traveller (1984)
 * Scandinavian Wood (Caprice, 1992)
 * Uncharted Land (1992)
 * Ambiance (1993)
 * To A Brother (1993)
 * Those Who Were (1996)
 * Friends Forever (Milestone 1997)
 * This Is All I Ask (1998)

As sideman
With Albert Ayler With Chet Baker With Count Basie With Philip Catherine '''With Niels Lan Doky, Alex Riel, and others With Kenny Drew With Roy Eldridge With Stan Getz With Dizzy Gillespie With Dexter Gordon With Louis Hjulmand With Milt Jackson With Roland Kirk With Tania Maria With Palle Mikkelborg With Tete Montoliu With Dado Moroni With Joe Pass With Oscar Peterson With Jean-Luc Ponty With George Shearing With Archie Shepp With Ben Webster
 * My Name Is Albert Ayler (1963)
 * The Touch of Your Lips 1979
 * Daybreak (Live In Montmartre Vol.1) 1979
 * This is Always (Live In Montmartre Vol.2) 1979
 * Someday My Prince Will Come 1979
 * Kansas City 6 1981
 * Jaywalkin' 1975
 * Trio 2 1993 - with Billy Hart
 * The Song is a Fairytale (by Frederik Magle) 1994
 * Duo (SteepleChase, 1973)
 * Duo 2 (SteepleChase, 1974)
 * Dark Beauty (SteepleChase, 1974)
 * If You Could See Me Now (SteepleChase, 1974)
 * In Concert (SteepleChase, 1977)
 * And Far Away (Soul Note, 1983)
 * Roy Eldridge 4/Montreux 77 1977
 * Live at Montmartre (vols. 1 and 2) 1977
 * The Giant (America, 1973)
 * The Source (America, 1973)
 * The Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 (Pablo, 1975)
 * One Flight Up (Blue Note, 1964)
 * A Day in Copenhagen (MPS, 1969) - with Slide Hampton
 * Some Other Spring (Sonet, 1970) - with Karin Krog
 * Play with Us 1987
 * The Milt Jackson Big 4 (Pablo, 1975)
 * Kirk in Copenhagen (Mercury, 1963)
 * Tania Maria 1978
 * Tania Maria & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen 1979
 * Heart to Heart 1986
 * Hommage: Once upon a Time 1990
 * Catalonian Fire (SteepleChase, 1974)
 * Tête à Tete (SteepleChase, 1977)
 * Bluesology 1981
 * Chops 1978
 * Northsea Nights 1979
 * Eximious 1982
 * Great Connection (MPS, 1971) - with Louis Hayes
 * The Trio (Pablo, 1973) - with Joe Pass
 * ''Oscar Peterson and the Bassists – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
 * ''Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
 * Night Child 1979
 * Nigerian Marketplace 1981
 * Sunday Walk 1969
 * The MPS Trio Sessions (MPS, 1977 - 1981)
 * Looking at Bird (SteepleChase, 1981)
 * Ben Webster in Denmark 1965-1971