Thorbjørn Risager

Thorbjørn Risager

Thorbjørn Risager is a Danish blues singer, songwriter and bandleader. He forms and leads the seven-piece band Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, and is also associated with Voodoo Saints. His music is rooted in blues, but it also draws on soul, gospel, rock, rhythm and blues and funk.

Background

Risager starts out studying to be a school teacher and works in that profession for several years before turning to music full-time. He studies at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen, where the teaching centres on rhythmic music across different styles.

He begins playing saxophone at the age of 12, later takes up guitar, and only comes to singing later. His interest in blues begins through a neighbour who plays blues records to him when he is young, and B.B. King becomes his biggest influence. Ray Charles is also one of his key inspirations.

Career

In 2003, Risager forms his band and chooses musicians he feels suit him both musically and personally. The group develops into a tightly organised live act, with members sharing practical duties such as website work and CD sales at concerts. Risager writes most of the band’s material, and by the time of the biography he has nearly 40 songs recorded from his own writing.

He is known for a rough, strong voice and for leading a large blues band sound that includes horns, solo passages and rolling, big-band-like grooves. Critics sometimes note the mixture of styles in his work, but that variety is part of his approach.

Performance and touring

Risager is described as the clear centre of attention on stage, although the band shares song introductions between members. The group tours heavily and plays in many countries; at one point it has performed in 15 countries and has dates booked across 11 European countries over a six-month period.