Testimionial:

The Stray Dawgs performed a set at the Nickelodeon Music Club opening for The Amos Garrett Jazz Trio.  They offered a selection of great tunes with stellar picking and singing and some humourous between song banter.  This was a fun performance by a very professional group who quickly won over our crowd and were brought back for a well-deserved encore.

Vic Bell, Artistic Director, Nickelodeon Music Club

The Stray Dawgs are:

Al LaMonaca, Guitar

At the tender age of eleven, this Calgary native began playing guitar in the hopes that playing Monkees and Beatles songs would prove to be a cool and effective way to meet the chicks. Al fell in love with the acoustic guitar discovering the music of Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash in the 70's. One listen to Doc Watson was all it took to begin the conversion to bluegrass guitar.

Studying flatpicking guitar led Al to win a few Calgary Flatpicking Contest trophies as well as a second place to the 1979 Winfield National Flatpicking Champion Richard Gully.

Brad Lindberg, Banjo

A champion picker on both guitar and banjo, Brad has played music professionally for more than two decades with numerous bluegrass and country bands.

He has performed for many bluegrass and folk clubs, arts councils and festivals throughout Alberta, B.C. and the United States, in addition to making live appearances on CBC, CKUA, on television and in legitimate theatre.

Brad continues to play in different bands and projects all over the Calgary and surrounding area. His talents cover a wide range of musical styles and genres.

As Calgary's best-known banjo teacher Brad has introduced many aspiring musicians to the mysteries of the five-string banjo, and remains one of the most respected guitar technicians in the region.

Brad is an accomplished songwriter; you can hear one of his originals, "Carl's Climb" on Restless Lester's Endless Skies CD.
Al has been a member of Wheatland County, Hothouse Bluegrass Band and Rock Bottom Bluegrass.
A founding member and past president of the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society, Al has consistently been a part of the Bluegrass scene in Alberta.

Credo: "No such thing as bad music, just misunderstood music"

Mike Bromley, Mandolin

Mike hails originally from Nova Scotia but has made Calgary his home for the past fifteen years.

Mike credits his main musical influences as The Beatles, Bill Monroe, Amos Garrett, Sam Bush, Don Stiernberg, Herschel Sizemore, The Band, 60's rock, old country and anything by Merle or Hank.

Back in Alberta in the late 70's there weren't many bluegrass bands, but "Village Paint" was definitely at the forefront, boasting a lineup of Darcy Deaville on guitar and Fred Mallette on banjo, and of course, Mike on mandolin. The early 80's found Mike playing with the Nova Scotia band, "Birch Mountain Bluegrass Band".A possibly obsessive jammer, Mike is infamous for heading out to any jam, any time, anywhere, any genre - at the drop of a hat. He often goes by the name of Doc Rock at these weekly jams. Mike is also an honorary member of Amos Garrett's 'Eh-Team', taking on the role of mandolinist and occasional bassist, as required.

Mike's fundamental musical credo is: "Don't cut corners. Be true to the music. Listen."

Bruce Leinan, Fiddle

Bruce's musical career began at the age of six, when he took up his first instrument, the violin, studying classical music at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto, and graduating grade eight violin with First Class Honours.

In high school, Bruce extended his musical talents to the guitar, playing and singing with buddies at weekend dances and in some theatrical productions.

After receiving a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electronics, Bruce continued touring with bands in and around Saskatchewan as well as the States.

Bruce moved to Calgary in 1979, where he has played in numerous bands in a variety of musical styles, everything from blues to bluegrass to rock to country. Not only is Bruce a highly sought musician in many Calgary bands and jams, but his expert knowledge of electronics keeps him on the busy end of many equipment repairs in his own business. Bruce has acted as a fiddle player in two major films: Steven Spielberg's "Into The West" and Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain".

Tess Bassie, Upright Bass

Tess has been a mainstay of the burgeoning roots music movement in Calgary for many years, in bands and as past instructor and director of Foothills Acoustic Music Society (FAMI). She is currently an executive member of The Foothills Bluegrass Music Society.

Tess has performed and recorded with various groups at clubs, events, in legitimate theatre, and at festivals throughout western Canada. Other current projects include: Muddy Road, The Calgary Civic Symphony and The Bow Djangos, of which she is co-founder & band leader. Their debut album, Hot! Swing and Gypsy Jazz! has garnered airplay on CKUA, CJSW, CBC and in France on Radio Canal Bleu.

Paramount bluegrass and bass influences: Don Williams (FAMI), Del McCoury Band, Jim & Jesse, The Byrds, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Flatt & Scruggs, Tim O'Brien, The Bluegrass Cardinals, Emmanuel Soudieux, Willie Dixon, Ray Brown, Rene Worst.Musically, Tess loves to collaborate and experiment.

"Music is the bond which transcends all other forms of communication and unites souls over the expanse of space and down through the ages. It is a pure well whose depths can only be realized by total immersion in it, free from doubt and fear. Consistent and mindful practice also helps in its execution."