1993 · Album
Art of the Duo
↑ Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Recorded 1993 · Unknown · Produced by Unknown
Two Voices, One Bassist's Restraint
Pedersen trades the trio's crowd for a single partner and lets the duo format reveal how much he can say with a bow and fingers.
Art of the Duo arrives in 1993 as a deliberate narrowing for Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Much of his reputation was built in larger settings, alongside pianists and horns in the rhythm sections of American and European sessions, so a record cut as a pure two-handed conversation shows a different side of him: the bassist as lead voice, not just the anchor.
His partner here is Philip Catherine on guitar, and the pairing works because neither player needs to fill space. Catherine's lines have a lyrical, slightly open quality, and Pedersen answers with a rounded, forceful tone that gives every phrase weight. Without a piano or drums to lean on, the harmony and time have to come from the two of them, which is exactly what makes the record interesting.
For a listener, this is a good place to hear Pedersen outside his usual role. It is not the record to start with if you want the full range of his work, but for anyone already familiar with his sideman playing, it reveals how much melodic and rhythmic control he carries when nobody is backing him up.
Who's playing
Niels‐Henning Ørsted Pedersenbass
Philip Catherineguitar
Where next?
More by Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
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