Joe Pass is a guitar player that needs no introduction among jazz fans. A truly terrific musician that earned a well-deserved place in history. And for a guitarist of his caliber, what he plays in this version of “Donna Lee” is “normal”. It’s part of the toolbox of any competent jazz guitarist.

But what Danish double bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (a.k.a. NHØP) plays here is NOT in the domain of any competent jazz double bass player. You must be a MONSTER to be able to play the “Donna Lee” head on double bass in tempo with such clarity and articulation. What Jaco Pastorius did on the electric bass with this piece is extremely demanding (it took him nine years to be able to play what he recorded on his debut solo album – in his own words), and the skill level needed to be able to play it on the double bass is exponentially raised to the n-th power. NHØP is the one who steals the show in this recording.

This performance was captured on october 5, 1978, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, as part of a concert offered by a trio led by pianist Oscar Peterson. It was released the following year on this double LP set by the Pablo Live label.

Numark TTXUSB turntable – Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge – ART DJPRE II phono stage preamp – Vinyl record vinilo LP