Tony Furtado

Tony Furtado

Tony Furtado is an American singer-songwriter, banjoist and guitarist from Pleasanton, California. His music is associated with bluegrass, country, country folk, folk, Americana, acoustic music and elements of indie folk and rock. He records on You Say Furtado Records and has been a member of Laurie Lewis & Grant Street, Sin City All Stars and the Tony Furtado Band.

Early life and banjo work

Furtado grows up in Pleasanton and starts playing banjo at the age of 12. At 19, he wins his first National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas, and later adds a second national title. He is widely regarded as a banjo player and also develops a reputation for slide guitar and vocal work.

Recording career

Furtado signs his first record deal with Rounder Records in 1992 and records six albums for the label. He later records and produces albums for Dualtone, What Are Records and Funzalo Records. His collaborations include work with Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Mike Marshall and Kelly Joe Phelps.

Style and live performance

His later work brings slide guitar and songwriting into a band-led format, with touring across the United States. His music is compared with artists such as Ry Cooder and Paul Simon, and his playing is described in the input as combining traditional material with a pop framework. He also performs solo and is known for mixing songs with stories from his travels.

Albums

The Bell is an album by Furtado released in 2015.