| Tony Furtado | |
|---|---|
Fox Theater, Boulder, Colorado February 8, 2008 Image by tammi_g |
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 18, 1967 |
| Origin | Pleasanton, California |
| Instruments | banjo , slide guitar and electric guitar |
| Labels | Funzalo Records |
| Associated acts | Tony Furtado Band |
| Website | Official site |
| Notable instruments | |
| banjo , slide guitar and electric guitar | |
Tony Furtado (born October 18, 1967) is an American banjo player and slide guitar, and singer/songwriter. player of Portuguese and Italian heritage who was born in Oakland, California. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.
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Tony Furtado became a banjo player in sixth grade after doing a report on the instrument, making a rough banjo out of household items and studying the history of it. By 19, he had won a pair of National Bluegrass Banjo Championships.
As a young banjo player, Furtado found himself playing the genre of music most represented by the instrument - bluegrass. But all along, he was listening to everything from Celtic music, Jazz, American Folk as well as artists like Tom Petty and Jackson Browne, MTV was unnavoidable in the early 80s! At the same time, he was delving into his parents collection of classic rock records (The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, etc...). At the ripe age of 19, Furtado had already earned himself a reputation as a young banjo prodigy, winning two National Bluegrass Banjo Championships. Albeit the press and praise as one of the most promising bluegrass artists, Furtado decided that one genre wasn’t enough for him. Creatively, he had something more to express. “I don’t think I could ever be happy staying in any one place musically,” says Tony Furtado.
Furtado then picked up the slide guitar and soon established that his dexterity transitioned with ease. Using fingers and a bottleneck, he absorbed everything he could from albums by Ry Cooder, Fred McDowell, David Lindley and Blind Willie Johnson. He was soon writing music with the slide guitar and featured it on his 1996 Rounder Records release, "Roll My Blues Away". After a move to Colorado, where he based his band, "Tony Furtado Band" as well as "Tony Furtado and The American Gypsies", Furtado started his "road-dog" life, playing as many as 250 days on the road. The music was mostly instrumental based, high energy folk-rock, but it wasn’t long before Furtado began writing songs. Though his previously released banjo albums featured the vocals of talents such as Allison Krauss, Tim O'Brien and Kelly Joe Phelps, this driven artist chose to add singer to his songwriter and instrumental titles.
Looking back, he says:
“I think I was kind of doomed to be a multi-genre player from the start.”[1]
Furtado's 1987 win at the National Banjo Competition (a feat he would repeat in 1991) led to a touring sideman stint with bluegrass musician (fiddle) Laurie Lewis (Laurie Lewis and Grant Street) and the launch of his professional career. But, bluegrass was only one style of music that interested Mr. Furtado. He has spent his decades in the music business fusing bluegrass, country, rock, blues, jazz, and folk (both American and European) on his expanding instrument arsenal of banjo, guitar, slide guitar and voice.[2]
A Tony Furtado show has something to offer everyone. He is a real musician with a riveting voice who blends rock music with frequents of bluesy, pop, and country. Furtado’s beyond impressive, furious slide guitar skills and 25+ years of banjo experience will blow away the music geeks; for the lovers of a story in a song, Furtado has a few tales to tell; and to those who are looking for a performance, get ready to be captivated, charmed, and entertained.
Tony Furtado Brings it Home on Golden
If you’ve followed Tony Furtado’s prolific music career at all you won’t be surprised to know that his 15th album, Golden, is loaded with several impressive firsts. For the first time, he has self-produced and penned every track. It is also the first time his own artwork- a sculpture of a two-headed rabbit- has been featured on the cover. However, on what is arguably his most engaging, masterful recording to date, one first marks this album more than any other. After 20 years of recording, touring basically living on the road, it is the first time Furtado has ever recorded an album in the town that he calls home.
Recorded, mixed and co-produced by friend and engineer Rob Stroup at 8-Ball Studio in Portland, OR, Golden, is the product of Furtado surrounded by the comforts of home, weaving his way through the diverse cultural fabric of a city rich with music, art and talent. In classic Furtado fashion, he explores the hills and valleys of familiar and new musical territory ranging from Americana, Celtic and folk to indie rock and pop. And while his award-winning playing and unforgettable leads are present throughout, it is his vocal presence, diverse arrangements and songwriting that take center stage on Golden.
From the sad horns and heartbreaking wait for “Angelina” to the broken man portrayed in the pedal steel-driven ballad “Man Down,” and poignant, other-worldly ode “Angels We Know,” his relaxed vocal delivery, pointed stories and melodic phrasing bring a powerful authenticity to each song. Combined with masterful production- a swirling undercurrent of unique instrumentation, percussion, and sweet harmonies- makes Golden a truly landmark album for Furtado.
Inspiration for the songs and music came from his many experiences around the River City while on hiatus from the road. His weekly residencies at local venues The Woods and The Secret Society provided him an opportunity to broaden his palette and share his tunes with a huge swath of songwriters, including Casey Neill, Jeremy Wilson, Dangermuffin and Kenny White. An online songwriting “club” hosted by Adam Levy where he was joined by songwriters like Ari Hest, Vienna Teng, and Garrison Starr, spawned the rootsy “In the Hollow” and the driving devilry of “Can’t Lie Down.” Even the local art provided inspiration. The infectious instrumental “Portlandia” is classic Furtado and named after a Raymond Kaskey sculpture located above the entrance of a downtown building.
“In the past 5 years, I’ve really worked my way into the fabric of this town,” said Furtado. “The experiences I’ve had, the talented people I’ve met- it just felt right to make the record here. It was so easy to pop in or out of the studio when I wanted to overdub something or have a friend come in to play on a tune. It allowed for a lot of collaboration and inspiration to be captured from everyday life.”
Many of Furtado’s local compadres, added their talents to the Golden sessions- artists like Paul Brainard (pedal steel), Ezra Holbrook (vocals), Jim Brunberg (vocals), Anders Bergstrom (drums), Stephanie Schneiderman (vocals), Scott Law (mandolin), Drew Shoals (drums), Tye North (bass) and Johnny Connolly (accordion)- are heard throughout.
An award winning banjo and slide guitar player who has recorded with the likes of Allison Krauss, Kelly Joe Phelps and Jerry Douglas, Tony Furtado has lived primarily on the road for the last two decades. And while he’s resided in many towns, they’ve mostly been temporary spaces. Now this consummate troubadour and indie label darling has finally found a place to call home. And if Golden is any indication of what home can do, we all hope he never leaves.
He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, and tours the U.S. extensively.
Mr. Furtado mixes Americana, folk, indie-rock, blues, and jazz styles.[3]
"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."[4]—Katie Klingsporn, Telluride Daily Planet
"He mixes bluegrass roots with a mainstream pop streak, easily holding the spotlight, thanks to his restrained virtuosity on acoustic and slide guitar and a warmly engaging voice reminiscent of T Bone Burnett, sans preachiness. PASTE Magazine