Tony Furtado
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"Tony Furtado continues his Education"

Tony Furtado devours musical styles like a competitive eater. He possesses that special constitution that allows him to process a great deal in a short time, synthesizing it beautifully first as a virtuoso banjo player and then as a skillful slide guitarist. A few years ago, he decided to try songwriting after more than 15 years as a skilled instrumentalist.

Furtado's banjo playing began first out of a school project where students not only wrote reports on a musical instrument, but they had to make one. Intrigued, he decided to learn to play the banjo, which seemed more unique than the guitar, which all his friends picking up. Then in 1987, he left school at Cal State Hayward on a whim to enter the Grand National Banjo Championship in Kansas. He won, sealing his fate for the last quarter century.

Furtado's banjo playing, while deeply indebted to bluegrass, also incorporates elements of jazz, Celtic, and folk. But Furtado's a restless sort and soon found himself obsessed with slide guitar. He studied the records of Ry Cooder and Blind Willie Jefferson to develop the skill to bring the songs he heard to life.

"It was in my head already, and it was just a matter of transferring it to my hands," he says. "You get hand cramps from holding the glass [slide] on your pinky all day, but after a while it made sense and my banjo playing was informing my slide playing and vice versa."

That love affair lasted for nearly a decade until Furtado started to explore singing and tentatively moved into the singer/songwriter realm. Songs with vocals remained a rarity until 2004's These Chains, which signaled his full-scale embrace of the genre. The supple drama of his playing suited the songs, which were more geared toward a verse-chorus-verse, melody-driven approach.

His latest collection, Golden, is the first to fully integrate all three chapters of his career, from the bluegrass of the catchy little rocker "Toe the Line" to the dewy folk of "Golden (Broken)" and the old-timey "Portlandia" encircled in wails of slide guitar. Not only did he bring in all the prior elements to the album, but he added one more.

"I actually produced that album, and I recorded it here in Portland," he says. "I'd actually never recorded an album in the town I resided. It made things much easier, much less stressful, and I had a lot more say in how the tunes were crafted."

Furtado recently left his management company and record label, Funzalo, and is embarking on an even more independent future. But there's an even larger challenge looming in Furtado's future. "The next big thing is I'm having a kid in October," he says. "I never thought I'd do that, but my wife and I decided to give it a shot."

It's probably not surprising that when we catch up with Furtado he's elbow deep in his new latest love: sculpting. While in Los Angeles doing singer/songwriter duty, he happened to catch Girl With a Pearl Earring, the film about Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. His artistic sensibilities aroused, Furtado found an art store across the street, bought some clay, and began working with it, just as he had as a tween before the banjo consumed his life.

"Around the same time I picked up the banjo, I had a ceramics class in sixth grade and just found it was really easy to make whatever I wanted," Furtado says from his Portland, Ore., studio. "I was originally going to be a sculptor. I went to school as an art major, but left early to start touring." Of course, he doesn't intend to give up music. He's merely found a more pleasant diversion. "It's kind of a release valve from the whole music business thing."
- Charleston City Paper


"Tony Furtado continues his Education"

Tony Furtado devours musical styles like a competitive eater. He possesses that special constitution that allows him to process a great deal in a short time, synthesizing it beautifully first as a virtuoso banjo player and then as a skillful slide guitarist. A few years ago, he decided to try songwriting after more than 15 years as a skilled instrumentalist.

Furtado's banjo playing began first out of a school project where students not only wrote reports on a musical instrument, but they had to make one. Intrigued, he decided to learn to play the banjo, which seemed more unique than the guitar, which all his friends picking up. Then in 1987, he left school at Cal State Hayward on a whim to enter the Grand National Banjo Championship in Kansas. He won, sealing his fate for the last quarter century.

Furtado's banjo playing, while deeply indebted to bluegrass, also incorporates elements of jazz, Celtic, and folk. But Furtado's a restless sort and soon found himself obsessed with slide guitar. He studied the records of Ry Cooder and Blind Willie Jefferson to develop the skill to bring the songs he heard to life.

"It was in my head already, and it was just a matter of transferring it to my hands," he says. "You get hand cramps from holding the glass [slide] on your pinky all day, but after a while it made sense and my banjo playing was informing my slide playing and vice versa."

That love affair lasted for nearly a decade until Furtado started to explore singing and tentatively moved into the singer/songwriter realm. Songs with vocals remained a rarity until 2004's These Chains, which signaled his full-scale embrace of the genre. The supple drama of his playing suited the songs, which were more geared toward a verse-chorus-verse, melody-driven approach.

His latest collection, Golden, is the first to fully integrate all three chapters of his career, from the bluegrass of the catchy little rocker "Toe the Line" to the dewy folk of "Golden (Broken)" and the old-timey "Portlandia" encircled in wails of slide guitar. Not only did he bring in all the prior elements to the album, but he added one more.

"I actually produced that album, and I recorded it here in Portland," he says. "I'd actually never recorded an album in the town I resided. It made things much easier, much less stressful, and I had a lot more say in how the tunes were crafted."

Furtado recently left his management company and record label, Funzalo, and is embarking on an even more independent future. But there's an even larger challenge looming in Furtado's future. "The next big thing is I'm having a kid in October," he says. "I never thought I'd do that, but my wife and I decided to give it a shot."

It's probably not surprising that when we catch up with Furtado he's elbow deep in his new latest love: sculpting. While in Los Angeles doing singer/songwriter duty, he happened to catch Girl With a Pearl Earring, the film about Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. His artistic sensibilities aroused, Furtado found an art store across the street, bought some clay, and began working with it, just as he had as a tween before the banjo consumed his life.

"Around the same time I picked up the banjo, I had a ceramics class in sixth grade and just found it was really easy to make whatever I wanted," Furtado says from his Portland, Ore., studio. "I was originally going to be a sculptor. I went to school as an art major, but left early to start touring." Of course, he doesn't intend to give up music. He's merely found a more pleasant diversion. "It's kind of a release valve from the whole music business thing."
- Charleston City Paper


"Golden by Tony Furtado"

If you had picked up Golden without hearing one of Tony Furtado's previous 14 albums you'd never guess that originally he was a banjo prodigy. After winning the Nation Bluegrass Banjo competition at 19 he was on his way towards the bluegrass bus and the summer festival circuit season when he made a musical left turn into blues, learning slide guitar and lap steel. Then he detoured into songwriting. For his 15th album Tony Furtado serves up a rock/pop/folk/ soufflé that combines songwriting, picking, and vocals into one tasty entree.

Furtado has been writing good songs for some time, but the latest batch on Golden is among his best work. The instrumental "Portlandia" has a bluesy melody that curls around itself in a banjo backstep. Furtado combines this percussive banjo line with an ethereal electric slide guitar part that floats above the beat like fluffy white cloud on a sunny day. Another hypnotic blues stomp, "Can't Lie Down" features a snappy chorus that surges with second line rhythms hung around the banjo riff.

Early in his career Furtado was known more for his picking prowess than his vocals, but on Golden he's elevated his singing to a level equal to his playing. On some tunes Furtado's voice reminds me of Paul Simon's. They have very similar harmonic timbres and at times even Furtado's phrasing reminds me of Simon's. This is not a bad thing.

Co-producer and engineer Rob Stroup recorded Golden at his 8-Ball Studio, which is located near Furtado's home in Portland Oregon. Local musicians including Paul Brainard on pedal steel, Scott Law on mandolin, Tye North on bass, and Anders Bergstrom on drums give the album a relaxed "down home" quality. The playing is more about making the ensemble mesh than stringing together hot licks. The results are pretty much Golden. - Enjoythemusic.com


"Golden by Tony Furtado"

If you had picked up Golden without hearing one of Tony Furtado's previous 14 albums you'd never guess that originally he was a banjo prodigy. After winning the Nation Bluegrass Banjo competition at 19 he was on his way towards the bluegrass bus and the summer festival circuit season when he made a musical left turn into blues, learning slide guitar and lap steel. Then he detoured into songwriting. For his 15th album Tony Furtado serves up a rock/pop/folk/ soufflé that combines songwriting, picking, and vocals into one tasty entree.

Furtado has been writing good songs for some time, but the latest batch on Golden is among his best work. The instrumental "Portlandia" has a bluesy melody that curls around itself in a banjo backstep. Furtado combines this percussive banjo line with an ethereal electric slide guitar part that floats above the beat like fluffy white cloud on a sunny day. Another hypnotic blues stomp, "Can't Lie Down" features a snappy chorus that surges with second line rhythms hung around the banjo riff.

Early in his career Furtado was known more for his picking prowess than his vocals, but on Golden he's elevated his singing to a level equal to his playing. On some tunes Furtado's voice reminds me of Paul Simon's. They have very similar harmonic timbres and at times even Furtado's phrasing reminds me of Simon's. This is not a bad thing.

Co-producer and engineer Rob Stroup recorded Golden at his 8-Ball Studio, which is located near Furtado's home in Portland Oregon. Local musicians including Paul Brainard on pedal steel, Scott Law on mandolin, Tye North on bass, and Anders Bergstrom on drums give the album a relaxed "down home" quality. The playing is more about making the ensemble mesh than stringing together hot licks. The results are pretty much Golden. - Enjoythemusic.com


"George Graham reviews "Golden" by Tony Furtado"

To be good at something as an artist usually involves specializing and concentrating on that specialty. But many artists tend to be restless in their interests and like to branch out. Sometimes that involves a side project or two, and sometimes it means changing direction significantly. This week we have the latest recording by a versatile performer who has changed specialities a couple of times. It's Tony Furtado, whose new release is called Golden.

Tony Furtado, a native Californian, first attracted attention as a teenaged bluegrass banjo prodigy, winning national bluegrass banjo competitions twice by the time he was 19. He recorded a series of bluegrass albums for Rounder Records with his own group and as part of gatherings of banjo players such as Tony Trischka. He was part of an eclectic bluegrass band called Sugarbeat. But he found himself increasingly attracted to the slide guitar style, influenced by Ry Cooder, and in the early 2000s plunged into that wholeheartedly. He established himself on that instrument doing blues and more eclectic styles on the various acoustic and electric slide style guitars he played. By the middle of the decade, he changed direction again, moving into the realm of the singer-songwriter, after not being a very frequent vocalist previously.

While he would sometimes de-emphasize his previous musical phase with each new one, more recently, he has been combining the three musical paths increasingly. His new CD Golden, his fifteenth release, perhaps best integrates Furtado's tripartite musical direction. Furtado writes that this recording is centered on Portland, Oregon. For almost a quarter century, Furtado has been an itinerant musician, almost constantly on the road. Though he resided in Portland, he did not spend a lot of time there. Furtado says he has settled down and consciously made the CD exclusively in a Portland studio with supporting musicians from the city, people he has been hanging out with. From the standpoint of the listener, I'm not sure how much that contributes to the sound, but it is one of Furtado's best recordings. It does sound more like a regular band, though the instrumentation does vary from track to track. It's also some of the best original material that Furtado has come up with, after he has recorded some cover tunes in the past.

Among the guest Portlandians who appear are guitarist Scott Law, who has his own band, and bassist Tye North, formerly with the bluegrass jam band Leftover Salmon.

The opening piece, Toe the Line is one of the more electric on the CD. It combines a kind of old blues feel with rock energy. <<>>

The Willows Cry takes more of a singer-songwriter direction while Furtado hints at bluegrass with his Dobro-like sound. <<>>

Even folkier in sound is the title track Golden (Broken). But the sound and arrangement have some interesting departures from the expected. <<>>

As on most of Furtado's previous albums, there are instrumental pieces. One of the two is Portlandia, celebrating his hometown, mixes bluegrass-style banjo with a spacey steel guitar and lots of musical eclecticism. <<>>

One of the more interesting tracks is Can't Lie Down. It's a creative stylistic blend of Furtado's bluegrass banjo and bluesy slide guitar, with some vaguely apocalyptic lyrics. <<>>

If there is a kind of recurring lyrical sub-theme to this CD, it's one of departure or missing someone. A good example of that is Angelina which has an almost Latin-American or Spanish flavor to it. <<>>

In the Hollow is another of the CD's more musically interesting and inventive pieces. There are hints of Celtic or British Isles folk, plus Furtado's bluegrass-style banjo and a tricky rhythm that seems to turn in on itself. <<>>

Furtado's bluesy slide guitar side comes out on River Song which is also an intriguing stylistic mix with a kind of swampy blues sound with hints of Gospel. <<>>

Golden, Tony Furtado's new 15th CD, is one of the best in the career of this bluegrass banjo prodigy turned bluesy slide guitarist turned singer-songwriter. This CD best integrates the three facets of his style. It's the most consistent set of original songs Furtado had created for an album, the playing by Furtado and his guests is inventive and tasteful, and it features some of his best vocals. It's also pleasingly eclectic, with folk, blues, rock, and bluegrass influences mingling easily.

Our grade for audio quality is an A-minus. The mix is well-handled, but there are some instances of apparently intentionally distorted vocals. The dynamic range, how the CD handles the difference between loud and soft, is better than many CDs, but hardly audiophile.

I think Tony Furtado ought to be better known that he is. But perhaps the versatility that makes him so interesting makes it more difficult to categorize him. He certainly demonstrates that versatility on his new CD Golden. - George Graham Weekly Album Review


"George Graham reviews "Golden" by Tony Furtado"

To be good at something as an artist usually involves specializing and concentrating on that specialty. But many artists tend to be restless in their interests and like to branch out. Sometimes that involves a side project or two, and sometimes it means changing direction significantly. This week we have the latest recording by a versatile performer who has changed specialities a couple of times. It's Tony Furtado, whose new release is called Golden.

Tony Furtado, a native Californian, first attracted attention as a teenaged bluegrass banjo prodigy, winning national bluegrass banjo competitions twice by the time he was 19. He recorded a series of bluegrass albums for Rounder Records with his own group and as part of gatherings of banjo players such as Tony Trischka. He was part of an eclectic bluegrass band called Sugarbeat. But he found himself increasingly attracted to the slide guitar style, influenced by Ry Cooder, and in the early 2000s plunged into that wholeheartedly. He established himself on that instrument doing blues and more eclectic styles on the various acoustic and electric slide style guitars he played. By the middle of the decade, he changed direction again, moving into the realm of the singer-songwriter, after not being a very frequent vocalist previously.

While he would sometimes de-emphasize his previous musical phase with each new one, more recently, he has been combining the three musical paths increasingly. His new CD Golden, his fifteenth release, perhaps best integrates Furtado's tripartite musical direction. Furtado writes that this recording is centered on Portland, Oregon. For almost a quarter century, Furtado has been an itinerant musician, almost constantly on the road. Though he resided in Portland, he did not spend a lot of time there. Furtado says he has settled down and consciously made the CD exclusively in a Portland studio with supporting musicians from the city, people he has been hanging out with. From the standpoint of the listener, I'm not sure how much that contributes to the sound, but it is one of Furtado's best recordings. It does sound more like a regular band, though the instrumentation does vary from track to track. It's also some of the best original material that Furtado has come up with, after he has recorded some cover tunes in the past.

Among the guest Portlandians who appear are guitarist Scott Law, who has his own band, and bassist Tye North, formerly with the bluegrass jam band Leftover Salmon.

The opening piece, Toe the Line is one of the more electric on the CD. It combines a kind of old blues feel with rock energy. <<>>

The Willows Cry takes more of a singer-songwriter direction while Furtado hints at bluegrass with his Dobro-like sound. <<>>

Even folkier in sound is the title track Golden (Broken). But the sound and arrangement have some interesting departures from the expected. <<>>

As on most of Furtado's previous albums, there are instrumental pieces. One of the two is Portlandia, celebrating his hometown, mixes bluegrass-style banjo with a spacey steel guitar and lots of musical eclecticism. <<>>

One of the more interesting tracks is Can't Lie Down. It's a creative stylistic blend of Furtado's bluegrass banjo and bluesy slide guitar, with some vaguely apocalyptic lyrics. <<>>

If there is a kind of recurring lyrical sub-theme to this CD, it's one of departure or missing someone. A good example of that is Angelina which has an almost Latin-American or Spanish flavor to it. <<>>

In the Hollow is another of the CD's more musically interesting and inventive pieces. There are hints of Celtic or British Isles folk, plus Furtado's bluegrass-style banjo and a tricky rhythm that seems to turn in on itself. <<>>

Furtado's bluesy slide guitar side comes out on River Song which is also an intriguing stylistic mix with a kind of swampy blues sound with hints of Gospel. <<>>

Golden, Tony Furtado's new 15th CD, is one of the best in the career of this bluegrass banjo prodigy turned bluesy slide guitarist turned singer-songwriter. This CD best integrates the three facets of his style. It's the most consistent set of original songs Furtado had created for an album, the playing by Furtado and his guests is inventive and tasteful, and it features some of his best vocals. It's also pleasingly eclectic, with folk, blues, rock, and bluegrass influences mingling easily.

Our grade for audio quality is an A-minus. The mix is well-handled, but there are some instances of apparently intentionally distorted vocals. The dynamic range, how the CD handles the difference between loud and soft, is better than many CDs, but hardly audiophile.

I think Tony Furtado ought to be better known that he is. But perhaps the versatility that makes him so interesting makes it more difficult to categorize him. He certainly demonstrates that versatility on his new CD Golden. - George Graham Weekly Album Review


"Tony Furtado Band - "Live at Mississippi Studios""

Ironically, Mississippi Studios is in Oregon, but then again, Tony Furtado has always been partial to the ironic. After winning several National Bluegrass Banjo Championships, Furtado decided that he wanted to master slide guitar instead. And after critics started referring to him as a roots music prodigy, he decided it was time to explore blues and pop. His recent DVD/CD, Live at Mississippi Studios, chronicles a night of diverse originals by this ever-evolving musician. And whether the gossamer folk of “Golden,” newgrass energies of “Portlandia” or aggressive rock of “Toe The Line,” Furtado’s virtuosic playing spans all forms of instruments and genres throughout the evening. His honeyed croon and poetic lyricism prove to be the performance’s greatest through-line, wholly convincing onlookers that true talent doesn’t need categories. - Fady Khalil - Relix


"Tony Furtado Band - "Live at Mississippi Studios""

Ironically, Mississippi Studios is in Oregon, but then again, Tony Furtado has always been partial to the ironic. After winning several National Bluegrass Banjo Championships, Furtado decided that he wanted to master slide guitar instead. And after critics started referring to him as a roots music prodigy, he decided it was time to explore blues and pop. His recent DVD/CD, Live at Mississippi Studios, chronicles a night of diverse originals by this ever-evolving musician. And whether the gossamer folk of “Golden,” newgrass energies of “Portlandia” or aggressive rock of “Toe The Line,” Furtado’s virtuosic playing spans all forms of instruments and genres throughout the evening. His honeyed croon and poetic lyricism prove to be the performance’s greatest through-line, wholly convincing onlookers that true talent doesn’t need categories. - Fady Khalil - Relix


"Tony Furtado Band - "Live at Mississippi Studios""

Ironically, Mississippi Studios is in Oregon, but then again, Tony Furtado has always been partial to the ironic. After winning several National Bluegrass Banjo Championships, Furtado decided that he wanted to master slide guitar instead. And after critics started referring to him as a roots music prodigy, he decided it was time to explore blues and pop. His recent DVD/CD, Live at Mississippi Studios, chronicles a night of diverse originals by this ever-evolving musician. And whether the gossamer folk of “Golden,” newgrass energies of “Portlandia” or aggressive rock of “Toe The Line,” Furtado’s virtuosic playing spans all forms of instruments and genres throughout the evening. His honeyed croon and poetic lyricism prove to be the performance’s greatest through-line, wholly convincing onlookers that true talent doesn’t need categories. - Fady Khalil - Relix


"Tony Furtado Band - "Live at Mississippi Studios""

Ironically, Mississippi Studios is in Oregon, but then again, Tony Furtado has always been partial to the ironic. After winning several National Bluegrass Banjo Championships, Furtado decided that he wanted to master slide guitar instead. And after critics started referring to him as a roots music prodigy, he decided it was time to explore blues and pop. His recent DVD/CD, Live at Mississippi Studios, chronicles a night of diverse originals by this ever-evolving musician. And whether the gossamer folk of “Golden,” newgrass energies of “Portlandia” or aggressive rock of “Toe The Line,” Furtado’s virtuosic playing spans all forms of instruments and genres throughout the evening. His honeyed croon and poetic lyricism prove to be the performance’s greatest through-line, wholly convincing onlookers that true talent doesn’t need categories. - Fady Khalil - Relix


"Tony Furtado - "Golden""

Over the course of a prodigious 20-year career, Tony Furtado has adapted many guises - staunch bluesman, free roving bluegrass musician, Celtic rambler and furtive folkie - and yet somehow he's never exactly etched his identity in any one particular genre. With Golden, Furtado refrains to make amends, but even so, while he avoids the temptation to pin himself down entirely, the overall effort stands out as one of his most accessible and engaging records yet.

Furtado's ability to transcend genre has been fostered by the fact that he's both an accomplished guitarist and a reliable banjo picker, and on Golden he gives equal homage to both instruments. From the tangled forward spin of "Toe the Line," "Devil's Dust" and "Can't Lie Down" to the sturdy, rambling instrumentals "Portlandia" and "Bones," and all the lovely and hard-bitten melodies in-between, Furtado deftly tackles his usual wide range of stylistic indulgence. It's a beguiling potpourri, graced by the gentle lilt of trad-tempered material like "The Willows Cry," "In the Hollow." "River Song" and "Golden (Brew)," as well as the gypsy strum of "Angelia" and the insistent energy of "Need." With so many tracks vying for contention, suffice it to say there's not a clunker in the bunch, clearly a distinction in itself. An essential collection, Golden is every bit as radiant as its title implies. - Blurt Online


"Tony Furtado - "Golden""

Over the course of a prodigious 20-year career, Tony Furtado has adapted many guises - staunch bluesman, free roving bluegrass musician, Celtic rambler and furtive folkie - and yet somehow he's never exactly etched his identity in any one particular genre. With Golden, Furtado refrains to make amends, but even so, while he avoids the temptation to pin himself down entirely, the overall effort stands out as one of his most accessible and engaging records yet.

Furtado's ability to transcend genre has been fostered by the fact that he's both an accomplished guitarist and a reliable banjo picker, and on Golden he gives equal homage to both instruments. From the tangled forward spin of "Toe the Line," "Devil's Dust" and "Can't Lie Down" to the sturdy, rambling instrumentals "Portlandia" and "Bones," and all the lovely and hard-bitten melodies in-between, Furtado deftly tackles his usual wide range of stylistic indulgence. It's a beguiling potpourri, graced by the gentle lilt of trad-tempered material like "The Willows Cry," "In the Hollow." "River Song" and "Golden (Brew)," as well as the gypsy strum of "Angelia" and the insistent energy of "Need." With so many tracks vying for contention, suffice it to say there's not a clunker in the bunch, clearly a distinction in itself. An essential collection, Golden is every bit as radiant as its title implies. - Blurt Online


Discography

1992 – Swamped (Rounder Records)
1993 – Within Reach (Rounder Records)
1993 - Rounder Banjo Extravaganza – w/ Tony Trischka, Tom Adams (Rounder Records)
1994 – Full Circle (Rounder Records)
1994 - Sugarbeat w/ Matt Flinner, Ben Demerath, Sally Truitt (Blue Planet Records)
1997 – Roll My Blues Away (Rounder Records)
1999 – Tony Furtado & Dirk Powell (Rounder Records)
2000 – The Tony Furtado Band (W.A.R.)
2002 – American Gypsy (W.A.R.)
2003 - Live Gypsy (DualTone Records)
2004 – These Chains (Funzalo Records)
2005 – Bare Bones (Funzalo Records)
2006 – Thirteen (Funzalo Records)
2008 – Deep Water (Funzalo Records)
2010 – Golden (Funzalo Records)
2012 - Live at Mississippi Studios cd/dvd (Funzalo Records)

Photos

Bio

Tony Furtado is an indie record label’s dream artist. He has lived primarily on the road for the last two decades. He is gregarious, engaging and entertaining, on and off stage. He’s been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar, and his own creative interpretation-hybrid of Americana and indie folk/rock is engaging and captivating. Furtado has often been compared to Ry Cooder and Paul Simon in his latest albums as he guides his attention to detail and proclivity for traditional music into the pop framework. Onstage, whether playing with a band or solo, he owns the room, mixing stories of his travels with musicianship that is off the charts

Tony Furtado grew up in Pleasanton, CA and took up the banjo at age 12. At age 19, he entered himself and WON his first of a pair of National Banjo Championships in Winfield, Kansas. Hailed as a banjo prodigy, he got his first record deal with Rounder Records in 1992. He went on to record 6 albums for the prestigious label, collaborating with the likes of Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Mike Marshall, Kelly Joe Phelps among others! In the late 90s, with the inclusion of slide guitar and songwriting to his arsenal, Furtado began fronting his own band and touring heavily throughout the U.S. This shift was inspired and influenced by the paths taken by musical heroes such as Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and Taj Mahal among others. He has gone on to record and produce albums for Dualtone, What Are Records, and Funzalo Records. And now, with his latest release, "Live at Mississippi Studios", he lets it all shine with his deftly talented band:

“Live at Mississippi Studios”
On Nov 25, 2011, Tony and his band -some of Portland’s finest young musicians, played 2 exciting sets to a packed house at one of Portland’s guiding light venues for indie rock, Americana, and folk music, Mississippi Studios. The show was recorded and mixed by Rob Stroup (8-Ball Studios) and filmed by a new collective of young filmmakers called Devious Goldfish. The whole project was funded by an interactive Kickstarter campaign where Tony offered up concerts, CD’s and even some of his sculpture-work as incentives for pledges. Feeding off the thread of energy from the crowd, the performance was riveting and sincere, and the filmmakers captured that on-stage intimacy and raw emotion rarely accessible to the audience. The result is a stunning CD/DVD set, a follow-up to Tony’s 2011 release, “Golden” ( which remained on the Americana top 40 chart for months).

REVIEW:
Ironically, Mississippi Studios is in Oregon, but then again, Tony Furtado has always been partial to the ironic. After winning a couple National Bluegrass Banjo Championships as a teenager, Furtado decided that he wanted to master slide guitar instead. And after critics started referring to him as a roots music prodigy, he decided it was time to explore blues and Pop. His recent DVD/CD, Live at Mississippi Studios, chronicles a night of diverse originals by this ever-evolving musician. And whether the gossamer folk of “Golden,” newgrass energies of “Portlandia” or aggressive rock of “Toe The Line,” Furtado’s virtuosic playing spans all forms of instruments and genres throughout the evening. His honeyed croon and poetic lyricism prove to be the performance’s greatest through-line, wholly convincing onlookers that true talent doesn’t need categories. Fady Khalil" — Fady Khalil, Relix