I can't think of any other bass player I have seen play the head to this tune on upright. Lots of guys on electric, but haven't ever seen an upright player do it. And at this tempo, in unison and in tune with a guitar player. That is just plain nuts.

Lesson learned. Guitar with one hum bucket plugged straight into an amp. No special effects. Pure skill.

I find it amazing that Joe Passed rarely looked down at the fret board. In fact he has his eyes closed most of the time. A complete master musician.

- What tempo? - Joe Pass: Yes

This to virtous artist will never be forgotten……God Bless them..

Just discovered this gem 💎, and I’m blown away. My guy on the bass, I got carpal tunnel just watching him, holy smokes!

Like everyone- I’m blown away by this. Just two god level virtuosos having the time of their lives. In spite of the speed this part I absolutely love is Joe’s ultra minimalist comping during NHOPs solo and the way they rebuild to return to unison. Incredible

This was recorded in 1979, three years after the "Jaco Pastorious" album (1976) with the opening track of Donna Lee. NHOP had no doubt heard Jaco play this. And no doubt Jaco had heard NHOP play on many recordings or live because he was everywhere in the 60's and 70's Playing with Rollins, Gordon, Peterson, Evans and many more.

Joe is totally rocking that shirt. Would love to have seen that in full color.

Two incredible improvisational jazz masters

Whenever I come back to this I keep checking if I haven't left the settings at 2x speed. This is unreal.

Incredible on both guitar and bass. Virtuosi both. Great chops and swinging lines. Wow! Thanks to Jerome for giving us all this. Other wordly! Gotta practice!

The best version of Donna Lee

What? Shredding on both guitar and bass. C'mon that is unreal!

What a performance by two jazz giants. Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen was the Jaco Pastorius of the acoustic bass, the things he could do on the instrument are beyond belief. RIP Joe and Niels, you will never be forgotten

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen is on another planet. Thank you for positing this since my mind has been blown!

Mind boggling...I even had the privilege to witness these guys at work along with Oscar Peterson in Helsinki during my youth.

I can't believe this speed in a contrabass.😱😱😱 The pitch is perfect‼︎

J'étais à ce concert, j'avais 19 ans!!!

I was blessed to have seen and talk to Joe Pass at the now closed Ricks Café American in Chicago about 1991? Solo guitar performance. He was selling his CD's at a table set up for him. He told me he practice often solo jazz guitar and he was phenomenal and a very approachable guy. Speed thrills and Niels Hennings Orsted Pedersen is the epitome of that. Charnett Moffet is similar in the Hypersonic speed titans on Upright Bass. Jaco Pastorius made this Charlie Parker tune a mainstay for electric bassists.

Every time I hear this I just want to burn my bass and hang myself in my bathroom! What a freaking monster Nils is. He not only played this song on upright years before Jaco or anyone else but he plays it at tempo, in tune and solos on the actual changes like freaking Charlie Parker. And what's worse he looks bored doing it! I've yet to see a bass player alive or dead that can match this guy and not likely to see one again!

One of my all time favorite videos. Thank you for posting this classic jam 🎸

I am blown away! I watch and listen in awe. What a match made in heaven. Thank you!

I call this firebop ! Damn fast en extremely well played, incredible solos!

Beyond words or praise! Virtuosity at it's highest!

The tempo is about 315 bpm. It's out of this world!

Virtuosismo impactante...😎😎😎

That bass player is insane!!

I too wanted to sell the bass as a teenager after the first real encounter with NHØP. Funny to read in the comments that it is also similar to many today. But: Don't be discouraged, be spurred on - it makes more sense.

I can't think of any other bass player I have seen play the head to this tune on upright. Lots of guys on electric, but haven't ever seen an upright player do it. And at this tempo, in unison and in tune with a guitar player. That is just plain nuts. From Intenzity's comment!!!

his use of harmonics was really ahead of its time. Interesting stuff.

This is just frightening! lol and they look so relaxed. Amazing.

Mark amazed at your guy what a bassist 😢I miss you thanks man for giving me a place to be and play ❤️💖💥never forget you my brotha

Words cannot sum up that performance! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

ABSOLUTLY INCREDIBLE !!!!!!

So absolutely phenomenal!!!

I think these gentlemen left their mark!

this is what evolved humans are supposed to do

Just AMAZING!

A lot of joy! Thanks.🪐

Rick Beato brought me here !

Virtuosos!!! R.I.P. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🎼🎵🎶

I can’t give enough likes to this... 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Yep it is one thing to play it on a guitar bass, but on an upright. the 2 greatest bassists ever.

Simply insane. I've never seen any double bass player plays in unison with guitar at this tempo.

Amazing how Joe keeps up with Niels. No, wait, amazing how Niels keeps up with Joe. No, s***, wait, amazing how Joe keeps up with Joe. No, wait, amazing how Niels keep up with Niels, No, wait...

Joe came to our home to jam with my phenomenal jazz bassist father. On break, I asked Joe if I could play a few notes on his guitar. I shouldn't have; my hands were downright trembling. Interesting story about Joe's childhood.........his father, speaking figuratively, would whip the daylights out of Joe if he stopped practicing. NO social life, just Joe and his charts essentially 24/7. Herewith we see the product of all that sheddin'. And it was peculiar how Joe was so shy and quiet as it gets but his guitar scorches with authority :)

after listening to about 15 different versions....this is still my favorite! :O

"Donna Lee" is based on the changes of an older popular tune called "Indiana". If you know the words and melody of that song, you can sing it over every chorus of "Donna Lee". That's why bebop players felt no need to state the melody-because most of the intended audience had heard it so many times they were sick of it. To make the song fresh, Charlie Parker wrote a whole new melody with the same form and almost the same changes and called it "Donna Lee". Any real bebop player knows that melody

The great Dane with the very long name and Joe nails it ,of course.

Muchas Gracias

wow... Thank you to Rick Beato for introducing me to both these superhuman musicians

Insane! What a jam!

absolute mastery

Already at 17 Niels Henning was playing with visiting jazz greats in his hometown Copenhagen.

I was fortunate enough to see Niels play live with Oscar Peterson at the Hollywood Bowl. The only unfortunate thing was that Niels was up in age and not in his prime. He was still amazing though and I enjoyed hearing him play. He's definitely my favorite upright bass player. Also, in the audience that night was Ron Carter, another great bass player. I saw him stand up after the show and was tempted to go up to him to introduce myself, but I figured that he's probably a very private sort of person off stage and wouldn't want to be bothered. And the way that he was dressed in a tux means that he was probably going to an after party for the trio.

If Punk Rockers could play Jazz..... this is one rasping piece of playing. Relentless

The level of genius these two guys possessed was huge like the Universe. 😲

(Sits and stares at my monitor in utter disbelief. Occasionally letting loose verbal expressions of astonishment)

Truly awesome.

Incredible!

they really didn’t have to rip this hard but im so glad they did

The one and only one NHOP !!

Pure Mastery!

This is greatest video we seen in our live hell we need to step up our playing ISync

Reminds me of my practice sessions.

Awesome camera work

bellissima!!!

Complete masters. G.O.A.T

Joe playing his d'aquisto - not too many videos of this guitar WOW

Amazing!

Playing bass and not knowing NHOP, it’s like you don’t know airplanes exist

Impressionante

Fabuleux !!!

Unreal!! Wow!!!

amazing !!

Monstrão demais

Otherworldly, NHØP was an ALIEN, from the same planet as Jaco, SRV, Hendrix and many more. They visit us only to show how its done and then go back. Amazing upright bass techniques.

Uffff bruto show!

Awesome. Rick Beato brought me here too

I was always taught that the instrument should be an extension of your body....you can definitely hear it in this performance.

SHREDDER OF THE CENTURY

DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is musicianship and then there is this ...what can you say....wow....

310bpm roughly. Holey smokes.

I've always avoided the who's greatest guitar player question, really what does that mean but the more I hear Joe Pass I think we might have a candidate

What a bass Player !!!

Upright bass. WoW

jesus christ neils is playing upright an damn near sounds cleaner than joe pass on guitar lmao

Niels turned the upright bass into something else!

that was sick cats!

God blessed 👽

Wowwww!

WOW!!

Totaly speedy Gonzalez!! Putz!!! I like so much!!!

BURNIN! When these guys were young there were NO books No teachers ! They only had hard work and talent!

Okay wait! MY GOD WAS HE GREAT!

Very interesting to see a bass player utilise what I instantly recognise as classical guitar technique. Idk..maybe he studied it ..Its the only way to have a chance at keeping up with Joe!

Joe is known as a solo guitar player. He is considered the king of solo jazz guitar. Because he was so incredibly awesome at solo guitar. But we often forget that joe grew up wanting to play like Charlie Parker, and his real drive for the first part of his career was to play single line bebop like a horn player, on the guitar. That had never been done in a satisfying way prior to what Joe accomplished and showed to be possible. This video is a great example of that essential side of Joe Pass. You will not find an example of joe doing it at a faster tempo with greater commitment to the song than this video. This video should be celebrated as the apex of joe doing bebop, and probably the apex of bebop being played on the instrument. Nobody has surpassed it yet.

Old shred insane