TAKING REQUESTS: Howard ‘Guitar’ Luedtke & Blue Max Release New Album
Chippewa Falls band just dropped ‘By Request’ full of fan favorites
New music comes to the rock-blues genre with By Request, a brand-new album from Chippewa Falls native Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max. With Luedtke on electric guitar and vocals, friend Bill Weiss on drums and backup vocals, and Luedtke’s wife Deb Klossner on electric bass and backup vocals, these three are no strangers to the industry.
Fans of Luedtke’s band will likely recognize tracks on the album, as many of them are previously unreleased songs that the band has played exclusively at live shows over the past several decades. Now, the fan-favorite songs are wrapped up on one CD.
“It’s a collection of some of our most requested songs from family, friends, and fans,” Klossner said. “Some songs have been requested by certain people so often that they now remind us of them – it’s almost like these people have become part of the song!”
Their recording process is unlike anything the band has done before, but it remains a sound that brings them back to the band’s roots. “Just about everything has changed in the music industry since the 1980s,” said Klossner. “But the core of our live music shows with Blue Max continue to be a solid three-piece rock blues band.”
Despite Luedtke being a titular part of the band, he owes a lot to someone special. “Over the past 50 years, I have been asked to do lots of interviews, but there is someone that has often been overlooked,” Luedtke shared. “That’s my wife, Deb (Klossner). She’s been the driving force behind this project … I’m proud of her and very lucky to have her in my life.”
As the weather warms up, Howard Luedtke & Blue Max look forward to playing live again, with two Chippewa Falls shows coming up soon at The Snout on April 22 and SpringFest on May 20. We could tell you how great they are, but you’ll have to go and see for yourself!
Check out howardluedtke.com to find a show near you. Order CDs online or visit The Local Store (205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire) to pick up your copy.
