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Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado

Photo: Hreinn Gudlaugsson, Djurs Blues Festival 2009 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Modern

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado

Born: May 19, 1971, Gundsø Municipality, Denmark• Denmark• Active: 2000s–present

Nordic BluesSoul Blues

Denmark's leading blues band, an eight-piece led by singer-guitarist Thorbjørn Risager, blending Chicago blues stomp with horns, strings and soul that has made them festival headliners across Europe.

Thorbjørn Risager leads eight musicians onstage — guitars, a full horn section, keys, bass and drums — a lineup large enough that it could easily collapse into noise in less disciplined hands. Instead, Denmark's biggest touring blues outfit has spent two decades proving that size and subtlety aren't opposites. He was born on May 19, 1971, in Gundsø Municipality, Denmark, and trained formally at Copenhagen's Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium, citing Ray Charles and B.B. King as his defining influences (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia). In 2002 he founded the septet Thorbjørn Risager Blue7 as guitarist, vocalist and primary songwriter, releasing the live debut "Live 2004" that year. Subsequent albums were credited under his own name rather than the band's original moniker, until the group's lineup expanded further and, starting with 2014's "Too Many Roads," began performing as Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia). The Black Tornado's current lineup reflects the size of the sound they build: Risager on vocals, guitars and Dobro; Emil Balsgaard on piano, organ and Rhodes; Joachim Svensmark on guitars; Kasper Wagner on saxophones and clarinet; Hans Nybo on tenor saxophone; Peter W. Kehl on trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and sousaphone; Søren Bøjgaard on bass; and Martin Seidelin on drums and percussion (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia). Across thirteen releases between 2004 and 2022 — including "From The Heart," "Here I Am," "Track Record," "Dust & Scratches," "Too Many Roads," "Songs From The Road," "Change My Game," "Come On In," "Taking the Good with the Bad" and "Navigation Blues" — the band built a reputation as festival headliners across Europe, blending Chicago blues stomp with horns, strings and soul (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia). Risager was named "Årets danske blues navn" (Denmark's Blues Name of the Year) in 2005, and "Here I Am" was nominated for "Årets danske bluesalbum" (Danish Blues Album of the Year) in 2008. In 2015 the band received the German Record Critics' Award ("Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik"), and in 2017 they won Best Blues Band at the European Blues Awards (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia). "Navigation Blues," produced by bassist Søren Bøjgaard, continued a run of records where every horn stab and string swell earns its place rather than adding to the noise — the band's guiding discipline through two decades of steadily expanding ambition (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia).

Musical Influence

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado established themselves as Denmark's most internationally successful blues export, winning the European Blues Awards' Best Blues Band title in 2017 and Germany's Record Critics' Award in 2015. Their eight-piece horn-and-strings arrangement built a template other European blues-soul acts have followed, proving a large ensemble could remain disciplined and dynamic rather than collapsing into bloat (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia).

Influences

Ray CharlesB.B. King

Formative experiences

•Trains at Copenhagen's Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)
•2002: Founds the septet Thorbjørn Risager Blue7. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)
•2004: Releases live debut "Live 2004." (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)
•2005: Named "Årets danske blues navn" (Denmark's Blues Name of the Year). (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)
•2014: The expanded lineup begins performing as Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado with "Too Many Roads." (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)
•2017: Wins Best Blues Band at the European Blues Awards. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Other

Eight-piece horn-and-strings ensemble

Full band includes saxophones, clarinet, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and sousaphone alongside guitars, keys, bass and drums.

Vocals

Vocals, guitars, Dobro (Risager)

Lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter for the band since its founding.

Stories & Anecdotes

"Founded the band as a septet, Thorbjørn Risager Blue7, in 2002, before it grew into the eight-piece Black Tornado. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)"

"Named Denmark's Blues Name of the Year in 2005, just three years after founding the band. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)"

"The Black Tornado's horn section alone includes saxophones, clarinet, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and sousaphone — an unusually large arsenal for a touring blues band. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)"

"Won Best Blues Band at the 2017 European Blues Awards, cementing the band's status as Denmark's leading international blues export. (Kilde: dansk Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Piano, organ, Rhodes.

Joachim Svensmark

Guitars.

Kasper Wagner & Hans Nybo

Saxophones, clarinet.

Søren Bøjgaard

Bass; produced "Navigation Blues."

Watch & Listen

Featured

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado - Navigation Blues (Official Music Video)

Title track of their 2022 album, produced by bassist Søren Bøjgaard.

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado - House Of Sticks (Official Music Video)

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado - House Of Sticks (Official Music Video)

Come On In - Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado (Official Music Video)

Come On In - Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado (Official Music Video)

Watch The Sun Go Down - Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado (Official Music Video)

Watch The Sun Go Down - Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado (Official Music Video)

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Famous songs

01Navigation Blues

02Come On In

03Watch the Sun Go Down

External links

YouTube Music Official site

Booking / Contact

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Sources

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