Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado
„Too Many Roads“
LP, White Vinyl, Reissue, 180g. Denmark, 2014. Blues.

If someone cites Ray Charles and B.B. King as role models and has a powerful blues/rock voice themselves, then it can turn out really well. Thorbjørn Risager, born on May 19, 1971, in Gundsø, Denmark, studied music at the Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in Copenhagen and founded his band in 2002. In 2014, the band, now an octet, released their eighth album under the name Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado. Their music is a blend of blues and R&B with jazz and rock influences. "Too Many Roads" received the German Record Critics' Award, Bestenliste 3/2014. In 2005, Risager was named the best Danish blues musician of the year.

Essentially, this is Chicago blues with horns and keyboards. It can be faster, rockier like "If You Wanna Leave," or calmer with an earthy groove like "Paradise." "Long Forgotten Track" is similarly groovy, with less rasp and a touch of reverb in the vocals. More reflective. "Through The Tears" features a raspy voice, beautiful keyboards, and horns. Typical melancholic blues. Side A concludes with my personal favorite: "Backseat Driver." Cool bass, distorted guitars, horns, and that rhythm—divine!

Side B opens with "Too Many Roads," featuring female backing vocals and a slide guitar. The sound here is almost pompous. My second highlight, "China Gate," continues in a slow and contemplative vein. "High Rolling," the third highlight, rocks out with a groovy feel. A nice contrast to the previous song. "Red Hot & Blue" sounds significantly more modern, with reverb on the vocals. Not quite my cup of tea. "Drowning" is more subdued, has a nice bassline (which I like immensely), and a well-rounded sound. "Rich Man" sounds like it came from rugged bar. A good ending.

Anyone who enjoys rhythmic Chicago blues with a soulful touch, keyboards, and horns should definitely give this a listen. There's no European influence here; it sounds thoroughly American, underscored by Thorbjørn Risager's vocals. No one here is thinking about Denmark.

Nine of the 11 songs were written by Thorbjørn Risager, "China Gate" by Harold Adamson and Victor Young, and "Rich Man" by Martin Seidelin.

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet – Kasper Wagner
Backing Vocals  – Lea Thorlann, Pia Trøjgaard
Drums, Percussion – Martin Seidelin
Guitar – Peter Skjerning
Piano, Organ, Electric Piano – Emil Balsgaard
Tenor Saxophone – Hans Nybo
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone, Sousaphone – Peter W. Kehl
Vocals, Guitar, Dobro – Thorbjørn Risager

All photos are from my LP, except for the two royalty-free press photos. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts, and fonts shown in the photos naturally belong to their respective copyright holders.

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