Old Man Luedecke

Old Man Luedecke

Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player, Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia.

His claw hammer-banjo picking, with pounding foot keeping rhythm, transports listeners back to an earlier time, back to the era of folk troubadours like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

With skillful precision and a storyteller’s heart, Luedecke charms audiences with his heartfelt narrative-driven folk songs that are playful, coy and soul warming. With lyrics that speak of life, his sing-along tunes cover life’s joys and its sorrows and he has a true storyteller’s knack of teasing the humour and charm out of any situation. However, he’s also an artiste who isn’t afraid to put his neck on the line.

His latest album, Tender is the Night, goes beyond his beloved solo, banjo-driven folk tunes by driving a Nashville band from beginning to end. The album gives nod to F.R. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, a title lifted from John Keat’s poem, ‘Ode to a Nightingale’. Rich in metaphor, heart and instrumentation, Tender Is the Night muses on love art and purpose. Tenderly pushing the boundaries of his story telling with his unique mix of folk, bluegrass and pop hooks, his latest album was recorded live in Nashville with producer Tim O’Brien. It follows up My Hands are on Fire and Other Love Songs (2010), Proof of Love which won the 2009 Juno Award for Traditional Folk Album of the Year, Hinterland (2006) and Mole in the Ground (2003).

Equally at home in living room concerts and soft seat theatres, Luedecke has also been a featured performer at all the major folk festivals in Canada and Australia. He has appeared with or shared the stage with such performers as Tim O'Brien, Joel Plaskett, David Francey, Ashley MacIsaac, Kris Kristofferson and many more.

Old Man Luedecke was one of 6 Nova Scotia artistes featured as part of Celtic Connections Showcase Scotland in 2011.