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to the blues live and on radio in the 60s. ’Blues And Roll’ is a Hooker styled boogie,
with great lyrics about the kind of music that Dennis likes (there’s a clue in the title).

Dennis is a very fine guitarist, singer – his vocals are rather matter-of-fact, but it suits
his style - and songwriter. There are plenty of fine original vocal numbers and a very

60s sounding instrumental ‘Insta Groove’ with just a hint of soul-jazz; the opener is

also a fine 60s styled instrumental, though there is never a sense that he’s just
recreating past styles. In fact, lend an ear to the six minutes long ‘Tenderness I See’,
proving that Dennis is not afraid to stretch the style a little, with a slow-ish tempo,

backing vocals and a hint of West Side Chicago blues in the guitar work, but it doesn’t
really sound like anything else around. Then there is the excellent Jimmy Reed-
flavoured ‘Lazy!’… Overall I enjoyed this set a lot – recommended, of course.

Norman Darwen

Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado – House of
Sticks – Provogue/ Mascot PRD77372

The eight-piece blues- and roots-rockers from Denmark

are back with their ninth studio album, another
excellent collection of ten tracks, each with their own
distinctive sound. The opening track, ‘House Of Sticks’,

is a fine example of this, with its hint of the Hill country
blues sound, without actually being one.

Some songs fall between the cracks between genres, as

with ‘Light Of Your Love’, a ballad-ish performance with prominent strings in the
accompaniment that could be soul maybe, though there is a tiny hint of Beatles styled
psychedelia, and the initial vocal made me think of classic era Peter Green. Then there

is the blues-rock guitar solo. See what I mean about distinctive and individual?

All the tracks are carefully crafted and unfailingly interesting. I do like ‘Long Time
Ago’, with its contemporary pop tinges mixed with the blues and rock stylings, and

‘Already Gone’ is an out-and-out piece of heavy, throbbing blues-rock, as if to show
that the band can do that too, though there has never been any doubt about it.

A very heavy bass introduces ‘Inner Light’ with its 70s soul/ funk approach, an
excellent song about growing older; musically it contrasts strongly with the following
dobro-laden slab of pure Americana that is ‘We’ll Get By’.

Hopefully now you’re beginning to get the idea. This album isn’t strictly a blues set,
but it follows its own contemporary, strongly blues flavoured path. Unlike some, it
keeps you on your toes all the time. Recommended!
Norman Darwen