Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado

Change My Game

Ruf Records

The Thorbjorn Risgaer Blue 7 was founded in 2002. Their debut album was “Live 2004”. In 2005 Risager was named the Danish Blues musician of the year. After eight albums Risager signed with Ruf Records.

The band became an octet and took the name Thorbjorn Risager and The Black Tornado. In 2014 they released the highly successful album “Too Many Roads”. They followed up with 2015’s “Songs from The Road”.

“Change My Game” is their eleventh album overall. The Black Tornado includes Risager, guitar and vocals; Emil Balsgaard, piano, organs, and synthesizer; Peter Skjerning, guitars and backing vocals; Kasper Wagner, saxophones; Hans Nybo, tenor saxophone and backing vocals; Peter Kehl, trumpet, trombone and backing vocal; Soren Bojgaard, bass, synthesizer, and percussion; and Martin Seidelin, drums, percussion and backing vocals.

Risager’s beautiful voice opens “I Used To Love You” with Bojgaard’s bass and a synthesizer. It’s a big sound. Risager takes a nice guitar solo and the horns come in as the song is ending. “Dreamland” is receiving the most airplay and the production is relentless. The title track “Change My Game” comes next and it is followed by “Holler ‘N’ Moan”. These are four very good performances.

“Hard Time” is a bit of country rock and reminds me of the band Firefall. “Maybe It’s Alright” features harmony from the band and background singers Miriam Mandipira-Mumba, Pia Trojgaard, and Mads Lumholdt. “Lay My Burden Down” is a somber dirge expressing mourning with another beautiful vocal from Risager and a fabulous horn arrangement. Other highlights include “Hold My Lover Tight”, and “City of Love”.

This is rock and southern soul and in some ways reminiscent of The Doobie Brothers. It’s an ambitious effort that is fully realized and worth checking out.

Richard Ludmerer

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