Reviews for Old Man Luedecke

Chris Luedecke knows a thing or two about being an outsider.

When kids his age were picking up electric guitars, he reached for the banjo. When they started leaving their rural towns for big cities, he left Toronto, his hometown, for tiny Chester, Nova Scotia, where he’s lived with his wife for the last five years.

Since integrating a Sunday matinee slot into their weekly schedule, the Black Sheep Inn has given sleepy post-weekenders a place to relax, sip a coffee (or pint) and grab a meal while enjoying live music upon the picturesque backdrop of lovely Wakefield, QC.

Old Man Luedecke loves life. That’s about the long and short of it. If you take anything away from this piece, I’d prefer it if you think of Nova Scotia’s favorite singin’ banjo man as a guy who really digs living. And playing his banjo.

On a cold night in Toronto, something special happened at Old Man Luedecke's live performance at the Hugh's Room. Actually, tonight was a big night for indie music in Toronto as Tegan and Sara (still indie with 45 million plays on Myspace?) were playing over at Kool Haus .

Honestly, I'm not sure if too many people equate Chris "Old Man" Luedecke and the idea of a traditional "single", but around these parts the Old Man is as much a Nova Scotian treasure as Schooner Beer and Peggy's Cove, so any new song gets us excited.

Steve Martin is clearly on to something here. He makes an ostensible vanity banjo album ands wins a Grammy. Luedecke has already polished off a Juno for best roots album. Tim O’Brien is on board throughout and the opening plink plinks will get you if O’Brien doesn’t.

As the March 30 release of his fourth album, My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs, approaches, Nova Scotia banjo virtuoso Old Man Luedecke (aka Chris Luedecke) has been busy tipping his hat to the Canadian Forces. Recently speaking to Exclaim!

Chris Luedecke assumed the mantle of “Old Man” as something of a lark. “I put the name on my first gig poster and it stuck,” he claims, and given the music on My Hands Are On Fire and other Love Songs, it seems a pretty apt description.

Chris Luedecke (pronounced "Loo-da-ka") purposely contrived his stage name to telegraph the elder virtues of his musical wont: a respect for tradition and hallowed ways, a Pete Seeger / Woody Guthrie-ish sound retaining the timeless virtues and thematics of the Everyman.

Fresh from winning a Juno for his last album “Proof Of Love” Chris Luedecke returns with more of the same in “My Hands Are On Fire...” Despite the presence of Tim O’Brien and Steve Dawson, who also produces (not the Dolly Varden one but the Canadian mover and shaker) the sound is still very much one man and his banjo laying down simple contemporary folk songs.

Anytime a banjo, a fiddle, and a mandolin get together, it’s usually a pretty good thing. Place this bluegrass combination into the Juno Award-winning hand of Old Man Luedecke with guest Tim O’Brien (Grammy Award winner for Fiddler’s Green, among other accomplishments) and the result is a fantastic collection of folk songs and songwriting.

The latest release from Old Man Luedecke presents us with the next chapter of a story that has already garnered the Nova Scotia native a Juno Award and international acclaim. Much has changed from last year's Proof of Love, though. In short, the-not-so-Old Man seems to have given into temptation and formed a full band to join him on this record.

Music doesn’t need to tell a story in the traditional sense. Musicians can accomplish so much with a simple change of a chord. The instrumental aspect may be more universally appealing than lyrics, but the latter allows people to connect to a singer’s personal story.

The art of story telling is one that is slowly getting stripped from the conventional song writer. There are countless artists willing to get on stage and start talking about an exaggerated love that started hot and burned out even quicker or pen obvious political agendas cased in minor chords to sound important, but exposing an honest connection to their soul is as fleeting as setting sun.

The newest release of Chester, Nova Scotia's Old Man Luedecke is both charming and earnest; an album best listened to while making pancakes in the kitchen with grandma.

On Tuesday, Nova Scotia's Old Man Luedecke releases My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs, an impressive followup to his 2009 Juno winning record Proof of Love. The songs on this album help the banjo plucking folk songwriter step out a little further from mistaken impressions cast by his misleading stage handle.

“I fly on homemade wings up into the sun/ Seems to me there’s room up here for each and everyone.” On his third album, Chris (Old Man) Luedecke, the banjo-frailing breath of fresh air out of Chester, Nova Scotia, is Icarus with a better fate. And when he sings about his hands being on fire, the reference has nothing to do with the burn of a sun too close, but of not being idle.

Chris Luedecke, the banjo-strumming minstrel who's better known by his stage name, Old Man, was on the other side of the globe when his world was turned upside down. It was on tiny Flinders Island, at the northeastern tip of Tasmania, that Luedecke received word that his 2008 record Proof of Love had won the Juno for best roots album.

Getting older doesn’t necccesarily mean getting old, but sometimes it does mean finding a new direction. Old Man Luedecke, the Nova Scotia songwriter and banjo picker, is working to find ways to chart out his own unique path.

Chester, NS musician Old Man Luedecke follows up 2009's Juno-award-winning Proof of Love with another smashing collection of banjo-based folk songs. Producer Steve Dawson's full band arrangements give weight and polish to Luedecke's fourth effort, but a sold core of complex melodies and clear-eyed lyrical perspective is what gives his music its lasting appeal.

Old Man Luedecke, real name Chris Luedecke, is a throw back to an older and simpler time. He comes out of the Pete Seeger tradition and is comfortable on stage with just his banjo and keeping time with his feet. His 2008 release, Proof Of Love, won the Canadian Juno Award for best traditional folk album.

There was a time, long, long ago, when the banjo ruled the bandstand. Its bright, percussive tones cut through the swell of horns and the din of the saloon in a way that its quieter six-string cousin couldn’t possibly compete with. Then valve-state technology and electric amplification changed everything forever. Still, the anxious tones of the banjo continue to persist and inspire.

Old Man Luedecke wields a fierce banjo in the war of hope and fear

Chris Luedecke is the pied piper of banjo players: wherever he goes, indie kids and hipsters, folksters and their moms will follow. While there's a universal charm in the old-timey banjo sound, it's Luedecke's contemporary storytelling that sets him apart and gives the Chester musician wide appeal.

A good portion of contemporary folk releases sound over produced and frankly, ungenuine. That’s not the case with the fourth release from Old Man Luedecke. The songs move from traditional, sparse arrangements such as “Lass Vicious,” to the majestic beat driven “Woe Betide the Doer of the Deed.” The banjo tone alone earns it a spot in the Folkways catalogue.

Well, he dresses like an old man, and his voice is leaden with world-weariness beyond his years, but Juno-award winning Canadian banjo player and songwriter Old Man (Chris) Luedecke has springtime in his fingertips. Luedecke is musically a traditionalist more than a revisionist, and his Americana is one part bluegrass sprightliness and one part heart-wrenching Appalachian lament.

This album is the fourth from Nova Scotia-based roots and folk singer Old Man Luedecke. He plays a banjo. And his music is awesome. You read that correctly.

Banjos are, on the whole, cheerful, optimistic-sounding instruments. Let a banjo drive an album and you’ll likely get an upbeat, springtime soundtrack to crocus-blooming and kite-flying. That’s what Old Man Luedecke’s got on his hands.

In life, appearances can be deceiving.

In music, sound can be deceiving.

Not to mention names.

All of which makes Chris (Old Man) Luedecke a very deceiving performer.

First off, the Nova Scotia-based performer isn’t old at all. He’s 34 years old.

Nova Scotia's Chris Luedecke is not an old man. On the other hand, neither was native Kentuckian Louis Marshall Jones when he took to calling himself Grandpa. A longtime Grand Ole Opry performer, Grandpa Jones (1913-1998) carried forward the traditions of Appalachian music in more or less comic guise.

Hot on the heels of his 2009 Juno winner Proof of Love, Chester, Nova Scotia’s Old Man Luedecke reteams with Black Hen Music’s Steve Dawson for a fresh dose of cheerful, old-timey banjo goodness.

I live in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, in the very heart of bluegrass country and in the shadows of Dr. Ralph Stanley's home. So, be it a blessing or a curse, I get to hear a lot of banjo music. And, to let you in on a little secret, it's often more than I can bear.

London's own Allison Brown opened the evening, fresh off winning the Contemporary Singer/Songwriter category in last night's Jack Richardson Awards in London. Her voice filled the hall and showcased not only the wonderful acoustics, but also why Brown is such a well-loved fixture of the London musical community.

Well, he dresses like an old man, and his voice is leaden with world-weariness beyond his years, but Juno-award winning Canadian banjo player and songwriter Old Man (Chris) Luedecke has springtime in his fingertips. Luedecke is musically a traditionalist more than a revisionist, and his Americana is one part bluegrass sprightliness and one part heart-wrenching Appalachian lament.

When I think of love, my hands being on fire is not one of the first feelings that come to mind. After listening to My Hands are on Fire and other Love Songs by Old Man Luedecke, I may have changed my mind.

After our little tour around the wolrd we move back to where we started, to Canada and there we find the hell of a musician I’m absolutely fell in love with (at least with his music), I’m talking about, yeah, maybe a sleeper I read about over at firstly at NxEW (sadly the article seems to be removed) and later at Herohill: nobody else than the absolutely stunning Old Man Ludecke who released h

When I think of love, my hands being on fire is not one of the first feelings that come to mind. After listening to My Hands are on Fire and other Love Songs by Old Man Luedecke, I may have changed my mind.

I can’t remember the last time I attended a concert outside the Christmas season that came with a singalong sheet.

But darned if Old Man Luedecke didn’t go to the trouble of printing up a combination of secular hymnal and personal thank-you note for attendees of his headlining debut at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax on Friday night.

The Chester, Nova Scotia-based banjo-picker has entertained audiences around the world with his clawhammer playing style, engaging lyrics, and a rhythmic foot-stomp.

Local music fans will have the opportunity to see him perform songs from his latest release, My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs, when he takes the stage at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on Saturday evening.

It takes awhile to find your stride, your path and your purpose in life. For some, it's a life-long journey.

This is the second full-length release we've heard from Old Man Luedecke...a strange stage name considering the fact that Chris Luedecke isn't that old (although he is, perhaps, an "old soul"...?). Luedecke once again teamed up with producer extraordinaire Steve Dawson here...and the results are spectacular. Chris writes and records modern folky pop with threads of bluegrass.

Folks packed into the back room of the Old Man Luedecke and help him celebrate the release of his new album, My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs.

Nova Scotia's Chris Luedecke is not an old man. On the other hand, neither was native Kentuckian Louis Marshall Jones when he took to calling himself Grandpa. A longtime Grand Ole Opry performer, Grandpa Jones (1913-1998) carried forward the traditions of Appalachian music in more or less comic guise.

It doesn’t get any simpler than a man and his banjo.

Back porch gatherings, kitchen parties, summer nights around the campfire under a canopy of stars, not to mention Pete Seeger singalongs.

When you hear Old Man Luedecke pluck the first few bars on his five-string banjo in the claw-hammer style associated with the hills and hollers of Appalachia, you might think such bucolic thoughts.

Old Man Luedecke is the alter ego of Canadian singer, songwriter, and banjoist Chris Luedecke, “a young man with an old soul”, according to his website.

Chris Luedecke's chosen instrument is the banjo although he plays acoustic guitar on two songs and he penned ten of the eleven songs on, this, his fourth recording, released in the UK last year and now out worldwide on Black Hen. By way of a tribute, there's a cover of the late Willie P. Bennett's Caney Fork River.

At 34, banjo-strummin' Canadian Chris Luedecke isn't anywhere near the same age as Pete Seeger, but the folk legend is among the rootsy acts that are stylistic touchstones for the man who bills himself Old Man Luedecke.

There’s a tension that exists between the lines of Chris Luedecke’s stories. Tension within one’s own self, within relationships, within the world as it happens around us. It’s a tension born of the dichotomy between push and pull that exist in those places. ”You’re starting to look as strangers look. Attractive yes, but not quite booked.

Old is not the best description for Old Man Luedecke. Old soul is closer to where he lies. His music has a maritime feel to it in line with his adopted home of Nova Scotia. Listening to his fourth release, "My Hands are on Fire and Other Love Songs," the listener can almost experience the excitement of a live show.

Chris Luedecke (pronounced Loo-da-ka) purposely contrived his stage name ot telegraph the elder virtues of his musical wont: a respect for tradition and hallowed ways, a Pete Seeger / Woody Guthrie-ish sound retaining the timeless virtues and thematics of the Everyman.

With the bright twang of banjo and lyrical stylings steeped in an earthy warmth and sincerity, the charm of Old Man Luedecke’s music is undeniable. It has a character that is at once nostalgic, yet firmly rooted in the immediacy of today.

This album from Old Man Luedecke (Chris Luedecke; 4th CD in 7 yrs) is certainly Bluegrass at the core, and has what I’d call a “Sam Bush feel” – the songs are as much Mellow Rock or Folk as they are Bluegrass. Upright bass, acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle. OK, maybe a yodel or two. There’s little of the instrumental prowess Bush demonstrates, but the same folk / bluegrass feel.

Old Man Luedecke is Chris Luedecke’s nom de guerre. He plays banjo on eight songs here, guitar on the other three. He wrote 10 and covers Willie P. Bennett’s “Casey Fork River.” His songs feel old timey, brimming with gritty wis- dom, ancient yet fresh and new.

On a superficial level, it's pretty easy to talk about Old Man Luedecke. After all, he specializes in straightforwardly simple old-fashioned bluegrass; he sounded that way on his first album just under a decade ago, and it's just as apt a description of his most recent release, My Hands Are On Fire And Other Love Songs.

Banjo-playing singer-songwriter Luedecke's wonderful throwback, rootsy sound-recalling the acoustically rustic world of Bascom Lunsford, Ralph Stanley, even Pete Seeger on topical efforts like the Wall Street commentary "Woe Betide the Doer of the Deed" and a sorrowful tale of pollution titled "The Palace is Golden" - works just as well within a group framework as it does solo.

Anyone who's ever been to Wakefield, Quebec's Black Sheep Inn knows that it's one of the loveliest and most-loved music venues in Canada. And, if you haven't yet been to the Black Sheep, you might want to pop your cherry by hitting one of the three shows Juno winner Old Man Luedecke is playing there this December.

The rosy-cheeked melodies of Old Man Luedecke's third album open up the kitchen door and invite you in to put your feet up. Once you're comfortable though, they bend your ear with some surprisingly biting observations about love, life and the appalling state of the world.

Burk's Falls, Ont. is a strange place to find magical music on a Monday night.

Located about three hours north of Toronto off Highway 11, Burk's Falls is a sleepy village of about 1,000 people. But this past Monday night, it came alive and hosted an extraordinary experience, despite rain and cold.

The banjo-picker calls his discovery of the banjo "a real gift." We call his album, Proof of Love, one of the best of 2008.

by Tara Thorne

"It seemed like a loser's instrument, you know, like a real underdog," says Old Man Luedecke of his chosen tool, the banjo. "Here's this happy-sounding thing that's full of life and totally unknown to me and everything I've known."

9-out-of-10

Old Man Luedecke was my favorite performer by far (not counting Rod Stewart offsite), the banjo picker at a jam doing one song about infertility that almost ripped my throat out.

The sleepy, postcard-lovely town of Sackville, New Brunswick was flooded with musicians and fans this past August long weekend for the fourth annual Sappyfest.

Last night I tried to get people to get people to come out with me to check out Old Man Luedeke, who was launching his new album Proof of Love at The Yellow Door. Apparently my friends are all scared of the banjo, because my attempts were unsuccessful. I think many people have some pretty rigid preconceptions about this instrument.

How can you not like a "banjo songster" from Chester, Nova Scotia? Old Man Luedecke does things the old-fashioned way, his vocal skills accompanied only by his 5-string. The story goes that the Old Man left Toronto for the Yukon wilderness, fell in love, moved to Halifax, then back to the Yukon and.... Sheesh. Like any good warbler, Mr.

A banjo is a special instrument. It seems to fit very well in country music or east coast fiddling songs. It can evoke feeling of happiness and sadness, almost simultaneously and will always make your foot stomp incessantly.

With an uncommon knack for storytelling and conveying simple emotion, Halifax’s Chris Luedecke is the type of artist whose songs are so solid, they sound 100 years old. There’s nothing flashy about Proof of Love.

Banjo in hand, Old Man Luedecke stands on the front cover of his latest outing, Proof of Love. There’s a charm to the artwork, the man and the music.

Nova Scotia charmer Old Man Luedecke has quite a record on his hands with Proof of Love, fleshing out his banjo-and-voice dynamic with full-band arrangements that augment his earthy lyricism. With his command of witty, rollicking folk and earnest, sombre balladry, Luedecke sounds like a direct descendant of Hank Williams, self-effacingly playful yet sad and sore-hearted all the same.

Part Dock Boggs, part Walt Whitman and part aphorism-peddler is Old Man Luedecke, a hillside Nova Scotia songster who gently plays a banjo, turns phrases awfully well, falls down and picks himself up again.

Don't be fooled by the apparent simplicity of Proof of Love.

Chris (Old Man) Luedecke's third album is direct, immediate and unpretentious, but it's not simple.

Chris Luedecke is a little concerned that his lyrical affection for bacon might be his epitaph. He can imagine the news anchor announcing, "As Old Man Luedecke once said [in his popular song 'Joy of Cooking'], 'If I'm not mistaken, the answer is bacon.'"

If you're not familiar with the Black Hen Music label from up north of the border (Canada for those of you who are geographically illiterate), you're missing some really solid and diverse music that digs to the roots. It's run by a man of the name Steve Dawson who, when not recording his own albums, pulls together some great talent.

Nova Scotia's Chris Luedecke charmed Moncton last fall when he opened for Feist at the Capitol Theatre with his easy-going, warm personality, fun between- song banter and his upbeat banjo pickin'.

Old Man Luedecke has translated that charm to his third album, chock full of old-style folk tunes all written by Luedecke except for traditional tune "Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier".

Chris Luedecke, one suspects, is very much a glass half full person. Despite the presence of the odd dark note or two on “Proof of Love” on the likes of “Sad As A Forest” or “Ain’t Goin’ My Way” in the main his music is sunny and optimistic and as such something of a breath of fresh air.

Fast talking, fast picking (on the banjo) Old Man Luedecke's just telling stories on these snappy new tracks from his third and latest album, Proof of Love. Although Old Man doesn't really look that old, his narrative style and attention to detail and tradition certainly reflect a degree of maturity and experience.

In the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Nova Scotia troubadour Chris Ludecke’s third release is a joyous set of folk stories, featuring simple but solid banjo playing and his warm down home vocals. His past recordings have been pretty much a one-man show, but this time the old man is joined by various members of the Be Good Tanyas and The Bills for a fuller, slicker sound.

A follow-up from the critically acclaimed album Hinterland, Old Man Luedecke’s new album captures the ad lib words and feelings of the tender hearted. Recorded in two days flat, Old Man sums up the spirit of the ages and the search for proof of love in under three minutes on each song.

The third full-length album from Old Man Luedecke. It is particularly interesting that this album was recorded live in the Factory Studio in Vancouver. As such, this album captures the true spirit of Luedecke and his band playing without lots of unnecessary studio tweaking and overdubs. Chris plays banjo on most of these tracks which adds threads of bluegrass into the music.

Consider this album the first installment in what's going to be a new generation of campfire songs. (Yes, "There's A Tear In My Beer" is on the verge of obsolescence.) Halifax transplant Chris Luedecke has thus far been one of Canada's best kept secrets, but Proof Of Love should change that.

Moving from an underground quirk to the position of a serious roots contender was merely a matter of time for this good-natured eastern banjo player. Old Man Luedecke, first name Chris, is emerging, no longer a secret within these Canadian borders.

Halifax-based Chris Luedecke has an interesting, old-timey take on music, writing a lot of tunes that have a sturdy, rubbed-oak quality to them. He's also alert enough to surround himself with West Coast talent like über-producer Steve Dawson at the board and a variety of instruments, plus ace mandolinist John Reischman and the gospel choral group The Sojourners.

almost weightless. Instead of dragging you down into your own loneliness, these songs play like conversations between friends. Sure, some might be more serious, but that is the comfort you feel with your friends.

Old Man Luedecke—who really isn’t very old at all—travels in a distinctly old-timey genre of music, accompanying himself on his banjo, but he always keeps the subject matter of his songs rooted firmly in the present. “I just admire the naturalness of this music that was made before it was made to sell, when it was a community effort,” he explains.

JUSTIN BRAKE
Special to The Telegram

“I figured I would grow into it,” laughs Old Man Luedecke, referring to his name.
Fact is, Chris Luedecke isn’t old at all. He’s 32 and adopted the moniker when he was in his early 20s.

I was going to write about how Old Man Luedecke's Proof of Love is a bluegrass album that even people who wouldn't count themselves as fans of the genre would enjoy...and then I found that Herohill had said that already, and a lot more eloquently than I possibly could have. So before I say anything else, I'll suggest you go take a quick look, and meet me back here when you're done.

...

It’s hard to pin down which part of banjo player Chris “Old Man” Luedecke’s journey added the most texture to his career. Was it completing an English degree in Montreal while pondering diverse worlds, thoughts and times, or living in a tent in Dawson City while washing dishes and playing banjo in a gambling hall for the cancan girls?

Old Man Luedecke (who’s given name is Chris) is a Canadian banjo player who has taken Americana folk music north of the border to show us how it’s done. With all that wide open land up there, it makes sense that a Canuck would take so well to rural sounds.

After showing boatloads of promise with his 2006 “Hinterland” full-length debut, Chris “Old Man” Luedecke takes his music to the next level on this first-rate sophomore effort.

Just as the good weather took it’s time getting to Toronto this summer, I’ve taken my time coming around to the music of Old Man Luedecke. Doing my best to rectify that, I’ve been taking a crash course on the Nova Scotian banjo player and “Proof of Love,” the title-track to his 2008 album, is a great place to start.

Chris “Old Man” Luedecke charmed audiences at this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival with his funny stage banter and simple songs about hard times, love and kids named Monsanto. While he performs live with just his voice and five-string banjo (with the occasional foot-stomp thrown in for good measure), Luedecke’s alt-folk songs get the full band treatment on Proof of Love, his third CD.

Although Proof of Love has more studio production and backing musicians than his past releases, Chris Luedecke - who is not an old man - continues to write songs like "Just Like a River" and "Little Bird" that combine old-time banjo traditions with his own contemporary lyrics. He also includes a couple of traditional songs to remind us of the older musicians who inspired him.

Shifting between optimistic hippie poetry and darker, more foreboding themes, Haligonian Old Man Luedecke writes songs in the banjo songster style. A young man with an old soul, Luedecke pays homage to folk tradition while addressing contemporary issues that give his music relevance beyond its twang-y appeal.

The first you should know about Old Man Luedecke is that he's not an old man. Chris Luedecke is barely 30 years, lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and takes the bus back and forth across Canada playing folk festivals and small clubs.

Great advice from OML- "Discard your store-bought realities, don't let them take the joy that you make on your own". That pretty much sets the tone for this CD. Folk-wise lyrics, solid thumpin' straight ahead banjo pluckin' and not the slightest trace of big-box influence anywhere.

Ramblin' Gamblin' Luedecke gives new voice to the banjo with a little help from a kazoo & a cardboard box...

Mellow, Groovy and Kicks Jack Johnson Ass.