Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado | Live at Hotel Cecil
The award-winning roots-rocking octet Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado are road warriors in the truest sense of the word – not a month goes by without them being on tour. This is the environment they live for, and therefore it is only fitting that they release the live album "Live at Hotel Cecil" on June 19, 2026.
Located in the heart of Copenhagen, Hotel Cecil has previously housed both a Jazzhouse and a Playhouse and originally served as a meeting place, lecture hall, and administrative center for the women's movement in Denmark when the building was erected in 1936. With its Art Deco setting, the venue is a perfect fit for the smooth, smoky blues sounds of Denmark's hardest-working band.
![Cover for Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado · Live At Hotel Cecil (LP) [Purple Vinyl edition] (2026)](https://imusic.b-cdn.net/images/item/original/851/8712725752851.jpg?thorbjoern-risager-the-black-tornado-2026-live-at-hotel-cecil-lp&class=scaled&v=1773197563)
The eight-man band takes to the elevated stage, the curtain rises, and as the lights dim, the band's neon-lit logo dominates the attention, and the draped space transports you to another time and place. Here the Danish sensations draw you in: Thorbjørn Risager (vocals, electric guitar), Emil Balsgaard (organ, keyboards), Joachim Svensmark (electric guitar), Kasper Wagner (baritone saxophone), Hans Nybo (tenor saxophone), Peter W. Kehl (trumpet), Søren Bøjgaard (bass), and Martin Seidelin (drums, percussion).
They have won four Danish Music Awards (with a total of seven nominations), the “Best Band” award at the European Blues Awards, as well as the prestigious German Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Jahrespreis. With more than 1,500 concerts worldwide, they have captivated audiences with their dynamic stage presence and a sound that blends soul, Chicago blues, boogie, and rock’n’roll – carried by a voice where Ray Charles, Van Morrison, and Billy Gibbons meet. They have opened for Bonnie Raitt, Tedeschi Trucks Band, jammed with the legend Buddy Guy, and have even gained a fan in none other than Elwood Blues – Dan Aykroyd – who has praised their “hot rhythm and blues.”