Of the many great things to come our way again, Tony Furtado will be returning to the SteamPlant Theater Saturday, February 2nd. Traveling as a trio, Tony is joined by Clark Productions favorite touring bassist, Eric Thorin and drummer Carl Sorenson.

Very few musicians of any stripe so personify a musical genre as completely as Tony Furtado embodies Americana roots music. Tony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist adept on banjo, cello-banjo, slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the flair of a master.

A native of Californian who now makes his home in Portland, Oregon, Furtado took up the banjo at age 12, inspired by the Beverly Hillbillies. He won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship twice, cut his teeth with Laurie Lewis & Grant Street, and signed a solo deal in 1990 with Rounder Records, resulting in six critically acclaimed albums for the label, collaborating with such master musicians as Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Tony Trischka. Beginning in the late 1990s—influenced by musical heroes Ry Cooder, David Lindley and Taj Mahal—Tony added slide guitar, singing, and songwriting to his musical toolbox and began leading his own band. He especially values the opportunities he has had to tour with A-list artists Gregg Allman, David Lindley, Derek Trucks, Sonny Landreth, and the like. He has performed at such prestigious music festivals as Telluride Bluegrass, Thirsty Ear, High Sierra, Jazz Aspen, Kerrville, Strawberry, Winnipeg, Sisters and many  others. His latest acclaimed release is Cider House Sessions.

Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.”