Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen | en

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (27 May 1946 – 19 April 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. He was born in Osted near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand.

The "great Dane with the never-ending name" was known as "NHØP" among many jazz fans. In Denmark he was most often simply talked about as "Niels-Henning" and certainly never "Pedersen", a name shared by almost 4% of the Danish population..

As a child, NHØP played piano. As a teenager, he started learning to play contrabass and at the age of 14, he began his professional jazz career in Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. At 17 he turned down an offer to join the Count Basie orchestra.

During the 1960s, NHØP played with several important American jazzmen who were touring in Denmark, including Albert Ayler, Bill Evans, Brew Moore, Bud Powell, Count Basie, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie, Jackie McLean, Roland Kirk, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, and the vocalist Ella Fitzgerald.

In the 1970s he worked in a duo with pianist Kenny Drew, and began making occasional appearances with the Oscar Peterson Trio throughout Europe and North America. Together, they have recorded over 50 albums.

He has also worked with Stéphane Grappelli and recorded extensively as a leader. His most known songs are My little Anna, Jaywalkin and The Puzzle. Besides jazz, he also was an interpreter of Danish folk poetry and songs. Besides many other awards, he was also awarded the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1991.

Together with his friend Ole Koch Hansen he toured Denmark with the theme "Danske toner" comprising old Danish folk songs.

NHØP died in Copenhagen, Denmark, of heart failure, at the age of 58. .