Ruf Records artist: Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado - Songs From The Road - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Songs From The Road by Thorbjorn Risager & Black The Tornado and it's terrific! I gotta say I am really looking forward to getting home and reviewing the DVD concert but I am currently on the road so the CD will have to do for now.  Opening with If You Wanna Leave, a solid blues rocker, Risager's vocals are incredible from the first note! Supported by Peter W. Kehl on trumpet, Hans Nybo on Tenor sax, Kasper Wagner on alto sax and Emil Balsgaard on keys this train moves! Risager shares guitar duty with Peter Skjerning and is backed by Lisa Lystam and Ida Bang on vocal giving the track a real fullness. Excellent opener! Paradise has a real nice strut and hot jazz interweave, punctuated by the horn section, Soren Bajgaard on bass and Martin Seidelin on drums. Very nice! Drowning has the flare of a cabaret but Risager's thick, rugged vocals nicely with the trumpet carrier, sax solo and sweet melody. A real nice cover of Big Joe Turner's Baby Please Don't Go has a driving pace with trumpet and flaming guitars. With an almost surf style guitar solo, this track rocks! Too Many Roads has warm slide work under the melody and caressing gospel like vocal backing presenting a rich envelope. Victor Young's China Gate maintains a stately ballad feel, accented by unearthly slide guitar tones. Excellent! Rock n' Roll Ride rolls out on strong tom tom work by Seidelin and great slide guitar but Risager's voice is so strong that he could perform alone! Backed by horn, piano,Lisa and Ida, this track swings. Excellent R&B track, Through the Tears, is such a terrific track to highlight Risager's vocal talent. With slide guitar riffs & tight horn punctuation, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Long Forgotten Track has the of feel a cowboy song but with an easy swing. On My Way is a very rudimentary take on the primitive blues. With only bass, percussion, and basic piano, Risager and his slide deliver the word. Very nice! Rocker, All I Want, in contrast, is full out driving with backing vocals and horns. Risager and Skjerning get into a nice guitar duel on the track showing real pyrotechnics. High Rolling is a strong rocker with a Keith Richards basis. Risager's dominent vocal style and Balsgaard's organ work is nicely carried by Bang & Lystan on background vocal. Risager throws down a few good guitar riffs. Seidelin's drum work is particularly effective on this track punched up by Kehl, Nybo and Wagner. Classic, Let The Good Times Roll is a perfect track for this band to start it's wrap up. Risager and Skjerning show their guitar chops delivering the good without stepping on each other and as they peak, Balsgaard on piano, and full horn compliment set the place on fire. Very nice!! Nicely executed, I Won't Let You Down is a softly delivered duet with only the minimal of guitar and instrumentation. Wrapping the release is funky, Opener, with grinding guitar riffs and hot horn solos, supporting background vocals and tight bass and drums. A great closer to a super concert. Can't wait to get home and watch!

   

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