Biography:

Born in Pleasanton, California, Tony Furtado comes from Italian and Portuguese familial inheritance. Now he resides nearby in Portland, Oregon. He became popular for his diverse banjo and slide-guitar skills. His musical style encompasses roots, old time, folk, swing, and jazz into a unique contemporary sound. And his instrumental prowess is astonishing. Katie Klingsporn of the Telluride Daily Planet describes Mr. Furtado in the following way. “As a banjo virtuoso, Furtado is well-known for his envelope-pushing, progressive bluegrass stylings. His picking is rapid-fire quick, sharp and clear, and puts him in the school of Béla Fleck and David Grisman."

Tony Furtado became acquainted with the banjo during the sixth grade when he put together a report on the instrument. He studied the history of the instrument, which has its roots in African traditionalism. His scholarly research inspired him to start playing the banjo passionately. By the age of 19, Tony had already won two National Bluegrass Banjo Championships. At the beginning of his playing career, he found himself playing the traditional style of music associated with the banjo-bluegrass. Along his musical journey, he was influenced by artists such as Tom Petty and Jackson Brown. Tony states, “I think I was doomed to be a multi-genre player from the start.” His progression on his instruments led him to start a professional career touring. Tony’s first sideman was the fiddle player, Laurie Lewis. Since then, Tony has been melding country, rock, blues, jazz, and folk into his musical arsenal on the banjo and guitar.

To date, Tony Furtado has released 13 albums, the most recent being “13” on Funzalo record label out of Arizona. He has opened for or played with artists such as Greg Allman, Jerry Douglas, Keith Richards, Eric Johnson, Derek Trucks, Alison Kraus, The String Cheese Incident, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon, and Taj Mahal. He tours the US extensively.

Links:

www.tonyfurtado.com.