Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Whilst Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado don’t perform in Britain all that often, their name has carried across the North Sea by the winds of fortune and the acclaim of those on the European continent who venture past the shores of the land of Hans Christian Andersen, Lars Ulrich, Niels Bohr, and Karen Blixen, and it is a name that carries with it a sense of opportunity to revel in some of the best Blues/Roots/Rock music to ever come out of the country and which transfers beautifully across all scopes of language.
The language of music, timing, and ferocity of spirit are key to the band’s performances, and one captured with subtle guile and panache in their album release of Live At Hotel Cecil.
The venue, situated in the very heart of the capital Copenhagen, is steeped in its own history, and it is if the vibe of the music caught the attention of ghosts and the chronicles of sages, speeches, and the smooth spoken words of the impressive and the dedicated in all its glory from ages past, underlining the feeling of modern aura and the glory of radical decisions and the blues of time.
For the listener, first time or long-term devotee, Live At Hotel Cecil offers more than intimate setting in which to hear the smoky blues, it is the acclimation of stories written over time and attended to with ears perfectly poised to take in the grandeur and the groove of the band in full sparkling flow.
It is with respect that the band offer their ability to the crowd, whether in person, or via the pulse of recording. Not a single space is mislaid, not a moment wasted, all senses trained on the chronicle of emotion being broadcast.
Thorbjørn Risager, Emil Balsgaard, Joachim Svensmark, Kasper Wagner Hans Nybo, Peter W Kehl), Søren Bøjgaard, and Martin Seidelin all combine with gravitas and unspoken narration at its most eloquent and deliver a set worthy of the best nights out.
Across tracks such as the openers Already Gone, Long Time Ago, and Said I was Hurt, the group pound their way through the descriptions of style and elegance with ease and pleasure, and as those tracks are joined by the introspections and outwardly cool House Of Sticks, Insomnia Boogie, I Used To Love You, Hold My Lover Tight, and Maybe It’s Alright, so the devilish, playful, and bountiful agreement between listener and band is signed, sealed, and delivered.
An extremely focused and memorable gig caught for all time, a towering reason why the venue is a must visit, and why the band is as captivating as ever.
Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado release Live At Hotel Cecil on June 19th via Provogue/Artone.
Ian D. Hall