DANISH BLUES MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

This year’s award winner was born in 1973 and started his musical career early, at first as a vocalist and later on extended with harmonica and guitar. In the musical circles in Århus, he played along with his good friend Ronni Busack-Boysen, who is also sitting in at Nisse’s award concert at MOJO.
In 1996 he moved to Copenhagen where he formed the band “Nisse and The Real Thing”. Some years later he performed with his new band “Hot Shot Love” at the Copenhagen Blues Festival 2002. The stile was pure Chicago Blues and Nisse revealed his big talent with some excellent harmonica play and a voice and an expression that calls for comparisons to Blind Lemon Jefferson and Howlin’ Wolf. In the same period he also founded his reputation as one of the best Delta inspired solo performers in the country.
In 2003 Nisse went on an educational journey to Chicago for three months, to collect new fuel for his musical development. He listened to the local blues stars at Southside’s famous blues clubs, and he jammed with among others Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch and John Primer, former lead guitarist with Muddy Waters. Nisse’s performance attracted much attention and received many words of praise, and as a bonus he harvested valuable experience.

As a solo performer Nisse had his CD debut in 2002 along with a range of the best solo performers of the country, on the live CD “The Copenhagen Blues Session, Vol 1”, recorded at Bar’Blues. His contribution was his own song, “Goin’ Down to Gainesville”. The song is included in a new version on his very own debut CD, “CPH Slim”, with legendary Peter Thorup singing duet with Nisse on the track.
Peter Thorup's comment after the recording: “Damn - I believe we have something really good going here”!
This recording, unfortunately, was to be Peter’s last one, but as one of the reviews reads: “An accolade from the master to his apprentice”.
The CD includes, besides Nisse’s own strong compositions, a handful of authentic, but also innovative, interpretations of old role models such as Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker and Brownie McGhee. The press, like the audience, has long had an ear for Nisse’s qualities, but the release of the long awaited debut CD, has sharpened the interest further.

The award committee’s motivation:

www.cphslim.com www
www.myspace.com/timlothar

Tim Lothar, born in 1968, started his musical career as a drummer, for the last 10 years playing all over Europe with the band ”Lightnin’ Moe”, now put on hold for an indefinite period of time.
A few years ago, after 25 years behind his drum kit, Tim Lothar began cultivating singing and playing acoustic guitar to explore classic American Delta Blues. With an indisputable talent and great musical insight Tim began a whole new career as a solo performer, and very quickly issued his debut-CD, ”Cut To The Bone” in 2006.
The CD received raving and enthusiastic reviews at home and abroad, for instance:

• ”A guitar player with Blues in his blood”.
• ”A new European blues act with class”
• ”A CD to classify in your acoustic blues collection next to the big ones, very big ones”

The award committee’s motivation:

Peter Nande, born 1968, began his musical career in the nineties, forming his first serious band, Nande & The Big Difference in 1998. In 2002 the band issued their self-titled debut CD, and ventured out on countless tours in Europe, also backing visiting american artists such as James Harman, Lazy Lester, R.J. Mischo, and not least harp-ace Gary Primich, www.garyprimich.com, who regrettably died just 24 hours ago, at age 49.
But in particular, the cooperation with legendary singer and harpist James Harman - www.jamesharman.com - made a deep impact in Peter’s musical life. In the finest blues tradition, the two of them developed a professional and personal relationship as mentor and pupil, but also as friends.
In 2005, Peter Nande decided, inspired by e.g. Harman, to pursue his dream to travel to the US to record his own stuff with some of the excellent American musicians, that he had met on the road in Europe.
The dream came true, and with a typical mind of his own and a complete catalogue of new songs, Peter and his regular guitar player, Ronni Busack-Boysen, went off to California in April 2006. James Harman, also an experienced producer, was waiting along with a carefully selected bunch of ready and willing American top musicians, for instance Harman’s own guitar player Nathan James, who hosted the recording sessions in his private living room.
The recordings eventually became the first CD in a series of three, entitled the ’California Sessions’. Issued later that year, the CD, ’Big Boy Boogie - California Sessions Vol.1’, received enthusiastic reviews at home and abroad, and was nominated for a Danish Grammy Award in 2007 in the category ‘Blues Album of the Year’.
Vol 2 in the series is already in the making, while Peter and his new outfit Peter Nande Band plays all the festivals and clubs that family-life and ’day-job’ as an engineer allows.
Just recently Peter Nande has joined forces with slide-guitarist and singer Tim Lothar to try out the demanding duo-format. Already very busy touring Denmark and Scandinavia, the duo also appears at this year’s edition of Copenhagen Blues Festival.
Peter Nande has a very positive and entertainmant-oriented approach to his music, not least his favourite California Blues. Besides his indisputable gift for songwriting and great skills as an instrumentalist, he also possesses an organizing talent, and kind of a devil-may-care attitude to go with it, that will take him and his music far.

The award committee’s motivation:

Singer, songwriter, guitar player and bandleader Paul Banks was awarded this year’s Copenhagen Blues Festival Award, ’Danish Blues Musician of the Year’.
Paul Banks was born in 1952 in Denver, Colorado. The family moved about a bit, finally ending up in Denmark in 1961. Here, Paul grew up in a musical environment around his stepfather, Jo Banks’ folk music club ’Purple Door’ in Copenhagen.
Already at 15 Paul toured with his father’s bluesband, but in 1972 he broke out to form his own band, Sideshow, with Bill Hazen, Michael Friis, Ken Gudmand, Thomas Puggaard and Nils Tuxen. Ever since Paul has worked the live-scene in different line-ups, one of the more spectacular being MusikOrkestret (the MusikOrchestra) with Jorgen Lang (harp), Martin Andersen (violin) and Michael Friis (bass), later replaced by Hugo Rasmussen. They issued 3 highly appraised LP’s.
After the band was dissolved in ’85, Paul formed a duo with tenor-sax player Steen Vig, who sadly died all too soon in ’95. Their collaboration can be heard on the LP ’Paul Banks & Steen Vig’ from 1987. For the last 10 years Paul Banks has played permanently with his friend and guitar colleague Aske Jacoby, in their duo as well as the almost bigband Love Bombs.
Paul Banks has appeared on countless recordings over the years, totaling more than a hundred LPs and CDs. Among others with Sebastian, Kim Larsen, Anne-Grethe, Monique, Alberte, Ole "Fessor" Lindgren, Tom McEwen & Jess Ingerslev, Jan Toftlund, Erik Clausen & Leif Sylvester, Pia Raug, Liller and Otto Brandenburg. ’Time Problem’, Pauls solo debut CD, came in 1998, followed in 2000 by ’White Noise And Diamond Nights’, giving him the Best Songwriter category in the Danish Music Awards - Folk. ’Bones And Love Bombs’ came in 2003, and in 2006 the live solo CD ’One Man Band Live’ won him the Danish Music Award for ’The Danish Blues Album of the Year’.
With great musical and artistic curiousity Paul constantly explores the borderregions between folk, blues, jazz, and rock. He has become the master of both the powerfull and the emotional instrumental and vocal expression, and today he stands out as one of the most skillful and technically accomplished folk-blues musicians in the country.

The award committee’s motivation:

Guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader Kenn Lending , who celebrates his own 25 year’s jubilee with his band, Kenn Lending Blues Band, was awarded this year’s special award, ’Copenhagen Blues Festival’s Jubilee Award 2005’.
The American Folk Blues Festival in Copenhagen in 1968 lit the fire, and since then Kenn found himself utterly committed to The Blues.
Most of the tricks of the trade he got from his long cooperation and frindship with legendary Champion Jack Dupree. From 1978 untill Jack passed away in 1992 they played more than 1000 concerts together, and recorded more than 20 LP’s and CD’s. "Forever And Ever", recorded in New Orleans 1991, won them the WC Handy Award for 1992 ’Traditional Blues Album’.
Over the years Kenn Lending has played and recorded with other Blues Greats like Memphis Slim, Louisiana Red, Luther Allison, Aron Burton, Janice Harrington, Lillian Boutté, with legendary The Band, and with Kenn Lending Blues Band he has supported artist like Fats Domino and BB King.
To celebrate their 25 years anniversay, Kenn and his band issued their 9th CD, ”Still Payin’ Dues”, a tour de force thru the Afro-American music tradition, from Mississippi Blues to funky Urban Blues, New Orleans og Harlem rhythms and also the original African musical roots.
With his undisputed talent, musical ambition and deep understanding of the innermost soul of his music, Kenn has established a well-deserved international reputation as one of the most important and influential Dansih blues musicians ever.

www.lending.dk

Singer, songwriter and guitar player Thorbjoern Risager was awarded this year’s Copenhagen Blues Festival Award, ’Danish Blues Musician of the Year’.
Thorbjoern first appeared on the local blues scene in the late nineteenninties, taking part in, and winning, several blues contests with people like Robben Ford and Charlie Musselwhite on the panel. Later on he formed the band ’Thorbjoern Risager Blue 7’, and he has established a name for himself as an accomplished guitarplayer and one of the most promising young bluessingers in Scandinavia.
His most obvious inspiration is the blues and R&B from the fifthies and sixties, and with a very powerfull voice, with some very convincing horn-arrangements and a strong New Orleans inspired rhythm section, he and his band stand out as one of the most professional and skillfull carriers of that musical tradition.
The debut-CD, ’Thorbjørn Risager: Blue 7 Live 2004’, primarely with original material, shows a band and a frontman with lots of talent, artistic ambition, professional skill and commitment, a lot of showmanship, and great promise for the future.

www.thorbjoernrisager.dk

Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Peter Thorup was awarded this year’s Copenhagen Blues Festival Award, ’Danish Blues Musician of the Year’.
Throughout his long and distinguished career Peter Thorup has put his mark of excellence on the Danish blues scene as a guitarist, singer, composer, flutist and harpist, and even colleagues in other music stiles have benefitted from his talent and experience as a producer.
The committee especially valued his craftsmanship, his versatility and a highly personal expression, as well as his continuous search for new musical and lyrical challenges.
Thorup has been very active on the live-stage in a lifetime, and even if his previous cd-release lies 17 years back, his latest release with Thor Backhausen, ’Ku’ det taenkes’, is a promise of more to come, in a not so distant future.

Singer, songwriter and guitar player Mike Andersen was awarded this year’s Copenhagen Blues Festival Award: 'Danish Blues Musician of the Year'.
In 2000 he formed The Mike Andersen Band, and quickly conquered clubs and festivals all over Europe, and in 2002 recorded his successfull debut-cd, ’My Love For The Blues’. Deeply rooted in the blues tradition, but also with an innovative attitude, this excelent, young musician has already earned his place in the top of the European blues-elite, and Mike andersen has proven himself a great ambassador for the dynamic, vibrant Danish blues scene.

www.mikeandersen.com

Guitar player, piano man, singer/songwriter Troels Jensen was the first to recieve the newly instigated Copenhagen Blues Festival Award: ’Danish Blues Musician of the Year'.
His trademark is an evident dedication to the blues, and throughout his career of almost 40 years, he has shared the stage with blues greats such as John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddely, Michael Bloomfield, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, and for many years had a productive teamwork with guitarist Billy Cross in Delta Cross Band. Always willing to to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to his colleagues, young and old, here is a Danish bluesman in a class of his own.
In 2001 Troels Jensen and H.P.Lange released the award-winning album "Take Me Home", that shows that we can expect a lot more from this years award winner in the future.

www.healers.dk