The award-winning Danish roots rockin’ octet Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado are set to release their new album Live At Hotel Cecil.

Situated at the heart of Copenhagen, the Hotel Cecil has been home to a Jazzhouse and a Playhouse, and originally served as a meeting place, lecture hall, and administrative hub for the women’s emancipation movement in Denmark when it was built in 1936. Set against an Art Deco backdrop, it perfectly suits the smooth, smoky blues of Denmark’s hardest-working band.

The show was recorded at their sold-out performance on 29 November 2025, one of the band’s final shows on their ‘House of Sticks’ winter tour, and saw the band fully flexing their sophisticated might.

“Hotel Cecil has a certain intimacy,” says Risager. “It’s big enough to have power, but still close enough that you can really feel the faces in front of you. That kind of room invites you to dig deeper — both musically and emotionally. There’s a history in places like that. You can feel that many stories have unfolded there.”

Reflecting on the night, he recalls, “I remember a great sense of anticipation backstage — that quiet buzz before you walk on stage. The room felt warm, very present. The audience was listening — really listening — and then when the groove hit, they were right there with us. That exchange of energy is everything.”

It’s easy to assume these road-worn veterans, exuding effortless cool, treat this as just another day at the office, but that’s not the case. “I still get that little spark before walking on stage,” he smiles. “And I hope I always will. If you stop caring, maybe you should stop playing. But it’s not fear anymore. It’s a focus. A readiness.”