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Furtado, Tony

WR

TONY FURTADO

  • From the San Franciso Bay area. Moved to Colorado. Now lives in Portland, Oregon.
  • Began his pro career playing banjo with Laurie Lewis and Grant Street.; and his own group Sugarbeat.
  • 1987, won the National Banjo Championship in Winfield, KS in 1987. Won a second time in 1991.
  • 1989, released Swamped album (Rounder).
  • 1991, released Rounder Banjo Extravaganza album with Tom Adams and Tony Trischka (Rounder).
  • 1994, released Full Circle album (Rounder).
  • 1994, formed a band called Sugarbeat.
  • 1997, released Roll My Blues Away album (Rounder).
  • 1999, formed the Tony Furtado Band, a fusion of country, bluegrass, blues and jazz.
  • His recording of “I Will” with guest artist Alison Krauss was included on Krauss’ “Now That I’ve Found You” album, which sold over two million copies.
  • 2002, formed The American Gypsies (a jazz group). Released American Gypsy album (no label).
  • He is also a virtuoso slide (bottleneck) guitar player. He manufactures and sells his own brand of bottleneck slides for the guitar.
  • He is also a sculptor.