9th Avenue AllStars

The 9th Avenue AllStars Sunday November 1st 3pm – Glendale Meadows Community Centre

The 9th Avenue Allstars may be a relatively new name on Alberta’s bluegrass scene, but the musicians behind it bring decades of bluegrass, roots and country experience to the stage. The group — Al LaMonaca, Fred Mallette, Bruce Rohn and Dale Ulan — grew out of Calgary’s long-running Bluegrass Sessions residency at the Ironwood Stage & Grill, one of Canada’s best-known roots-music rooms. Their approach is proudly old-school: traditional bluegrass, strong instrumental playing, tight ensemble work and music built to be played live.

Al LaMonaca has been a fixture of Calgary’s roots and bluegrass community for decades, performing on guitar, banjo and dobro with groups including Wheatland County, Hothouse Bluegrass, Stray Dawgs, Rock Bottom and Crooked Path. Wheatland County helped launch a piece of Alberta music history when the group opened the very first Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 1978, while Hothouse Bluegrass went on to open for Alison Krauss in Calgary.

Al has also appeared at major Western Canadian bluegrass gatherings. He performed with Al LaMonaca & The Other Guys at the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, sharing a festival bill that included internationally recognized bluegrass artists, and appeared at Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival. He has subsequently taught workshops at both Shady Grove and Blueberry as well as FAMI Acoustic Camp. His recording history includes The Boathouse Demo Tapes, an album featuring nine original or co-written songs alongside carefully chosen bluegrass and roots material. Alberta bluegrass musician and ethnomusicologist Steve Fisher praised the record for Al’s guitar playing, lead and harmony vocals, dobro and banjo work, while Eric Holt, President of the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society, highlighted its songs, harmonies and instrumental breaks. The project also received attention through CKUA’s Bluegrass Show.

Fred Mallette is a veteran of Calgary and area folk clubs, festivals and pubs and is described by the Blueberry Music Festival as playing some of the finest bluegrass banjo in Western Canada.

Bruce Rohn brings years of road experience to the group. A veteran of touring with regional country performers, he has been a familiar presence at bluegrass club concerts and festival jams and is recognized in the Alberta bluegrass community for his fiddle playing.

Dale Ulan anchors the Allstars on upright bass while bringing another dimension of experience behind the scenes. An accomplished recording engineer and producer,

Dale has worked on numerous recordings by local and regional roots artists. He also played bass throughout Al LaMonaca’s The Boathouse Demo Tapes. Together, these four musicians represent a substantial piece of Alberta’s bluegrass history — festival stages, touring, recordings, teaching, decades of club performances and jam sessions, now together in one traditional bluegrass band.

And now The 9th Avenue Allstars have new recorded music arriving around their November 1 Calgary House Concerts appearance, giving our audience an opportunity to hear the next chapter from four musicians who have already spent decades helping keep Alberta bluegrass alive. Not just a concert. It’s a moment to connect with friends of the series—and a chance to share the real time experience. Hope you can join us & thanks for supporting ‘Live Music in the Community. TIX https://calgaryhouseconcerts.ca/