2020 – Ruf Records
By Phillip Smith; Jan.18, 2020
I’ve been a big fan of Thorbjørn Risager since reviewing his Too Many Roads album in 2014. This eight-piece band from Denmark has been playing together for seventeen years, and continually raise the mark with every release. Rooted in blues, and infused with elements of jazz, swing, gospel, and rock, Risager’s music is some of the best recorded today. Their new album Come On In is absolutely stunning. Backing Risager while he takes lead on guitar and vocals, is Emil Balsgaard on piano/keys, Joachim Svensmark on guitar, Kasper Wagner on assorted saxophones, Hans Nybo on tenor sax, Peter W. Kehl on trumpet/flugelhorn/trombone/sousaphone, Søren Bøjgaard on bass/moog/synthesizer, and Martin Seidelin on drums/percussion.
Title track “Come on In” rolls out with a fetching pulse from Seidelin while Risager lures me in with his cool-as-hell voice and etheric guitar licks. I love the slide on “Last Train”. This fabulous, hard-driving blues tune is marvelously infectious. “Two Lovers” is beautifully written and performed. Risager constructs a dreamy and hypnotic atmosphere in “On and On”. There’s a deep soulful energy about this one, that draws me right in. With the dials set at eleven, they tackle “Love So Fine” with searing guitar, pounding keys, and a backline of brass. This powerful jam is a great one to rock out to.
Thørbjorn Risager and the Black Tornado have unquestionably won me over yet again with Come On In. It is such a splendid album to usher in the new year.
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For more information about the artist, visit this website https://risager.info
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