One of my favorite YouTubers, Rick Beato, made a video talking about Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen the other day, and basically called him the Jaco Pastorius before Jaco Pastorius. I was super into the bits of Pedersen’s playing I saw in the video, so I stopped watching and added this album to the queue of music for me to listen to. I don’t know much about Kenny Drew other than he was a jazz pianist, but this seems like it’s going to be a nice album. It also feels like a nice night for some jazz, so with that I’m going to jump on into the music.
“I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro” starts out with some really warm piano from Drew and some high notes on that warm bass taking the lead from Pederson. Wow, this song is absolutely wonderful. Oh wow, Drew is taking the lead now as Pederson keeps the background going with some really sweet bass. Oh wow, I’m really digging this song, and can already tell I’m going to really enjoy the album. I’m already looking into getting this one on vinyl. Drew and Pederson fill the song so well with just their instruments.
“Come Summer” starts out with some nearly discordant, yet beautiful piano from Drew. Wow, it almost reminds me a bit of Keith Jarrett’s album, Facing You (1972). There’s very little playing I can hear from Pederson, if any at all (it might just be Drew hitting some bass notes on the piano), but the song is super lovely and absolutely filled with great feeling coming from Drew’s piano.
“Lullaby” starts out with some really low, delicate, and intricate playing from Pederson’s bass. Though this song is short, it’s absolutely lovely. I’m really digging this album, and the way Drew and Pederson go back and forth.
Oh wow, “Kristine” starts out with some piano from Drew, which is shortly joined by Pederson playing the bass with a bow. Oh wow, Pederson just switched to plucking the strings. This song is absolutely awesome. This playing really makes me want to learn how to play bass. Drew has a little melodic hook he keeps repeating, with little changes here and there, and Pederson is absolutely jamming on it, and absolutely leaving me bewildered. Wow, now Drew is taking lead and Pederson is going on with that similar melodic hook. The little buzzes you here from the bass at certain points breathe so much authenticity into this track. Pederson closes the tune by playing his bass with the bow again, while Drew does his work to tie up the track on piano.
“Serenity” starts out in a really blissful way with the solo piano, and sort of feels out the track a bit before the bass gently comes in. Wow, this song is absolutely lovely. Both Drew and Pederson sound like they’re feeling out the soundscape and developing something really sweet along the way. The way Pederson switches from low to high notes on the bass is simply lovely, while Drew does something of a dance with the piano notes at the same time. This track is absolutely awesome. It feels like maybe 2 minutes real time has gone by since I started this play-through of the album, yet it’s already on the fifth track. Absolutely awesome.
“Det Var en Lordag Aften” has an almost polka-like feel to with the way it swings. Oh wow, Pederson’s playing is absolutely awesome. Drew keeps the song grounded to a certain extent with the melodic part he’s playing on the piano, while Pederson absolutely goes ripping through the track in an absolutely stunning way. Oh wow, there’s now some electric keys in addition to the normal piano as well as Pederson’s bass sort of keeping the rhythm of the track in place to a certain extent. Both Pederson and Drew are trading lines, going back and forth, and building on one another’s little solo-istic playing. This is absolutely lovely.
“Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans” has a really interesting, almost eccentric feel to the playing from Pederson, and the light playing from Drew on what I think is an electric keyboard/organ, with little pieces of normal piano scattered in throughout. This is super awesome. The way this one swings is so different from the previous track, but really sweet. Oh wow, Pederson and Drew just traded roles in terms of who is playing lead in such a smooth, natural, and subtle manner. Pederson is walking up and down the bass while Drew is really going in that piano. You can even hear some voices from Drew singing/humming along to what he’s playing, and sounds like he’s really feeling it – also reminding me a lot of Keith Jarrett’s style of playing when he’s really into an improvisational piece from what I’ve heard. Really sweet outro as well.
“Wave” has a very mellow, almost microtonal feel from the keyboards, as the similar notes create movement while washing together. Oh wow, Pederson’s playing is absolutely superb, and the licks traded with Drew compound each time both artists take turns. The piano also shifts a bit in the soundscape on this one. This honestly makes me want to start practicing my guitar a whole lot, as it’s filling my head with so much virtuosity in terms of what’s theoretically possible with what’s going on musically in this song. Oh wow, both the little solo parts from both artists sort of naturally fall in place with each other as they start grooving together at the end of the song.
“Duo Trip” has some really fast-paced playing from both players as they seem to playing similar chromatic lines up and down their instruments. They play something slightly different, yet fall in line together perfectly at the right time. Oh wow, that piano from Drew gets almost bluesy at times, and has some really delicious flavor to it. Wow, Pederson’s bass is front and center at this point, and is honestly head-sweltering with what’s going on musically.
“Hush-a-Bye” has a very gentle, almost Arabian nights sort of lullaby feel to it as the song starts out with Pederson’s bass. Oh wow, when those electric keys come on, the song is almost pushed forward in a completely different, yet totally natural direction from where it sounded at the start. Wow, Drew’s keyboards are using those chromatic lines from Pederson’s bass and taking them in an almost swirly, circular direction, as the keyboards sort of whirl around in the musical landscape of the tune. This album is absolutely awesome. Oh wow, this bass from Pederson is taking everything Drew played and making it his own, while Drew sort of keeps a rhythm going with some staccato’d notes from the keyboard, but at the same time Drew and Pederson are feeling their ways into playing something at the same time that feels wholly natural to the song. I’m definitely going to buy this one on vinyl soon – awesome song on an album.
“I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro” circles the playing back to the start, bringing things to a natural closing point. This album feels very natural in musical evolution, while keeping the playing very fresh and dynamic the whole way through. Honestly it reminds me of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra a bit with the main melody that Drew and Pederson seem to be playing around with. What an absolutely lovely song this is. The final outro feels so natural, and the album closes incredibly well.
Wow. Both Kenny Drew and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen play extremely well in this one, and I’m supremely interested in both of their careers now. I know Pederson played with Joe Pass on occasion, but I need to learn more of Drew’s other work. If you enjoy jazz in the least bit, I think there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this album. I can’t believe how fast those 44 minutes went by. This is a really awesome album, and I’m looking forward to purchasing it on vinyl as soon as I get the chance. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy listening to it at least as much as I did.
-A