Before Tony Furtado became a highly-regarded slide guitarist/banjo player, he studied art and music at Cal State Hayward. It was during that time that he went on a whim to Kansas and entered the Grand National Banjo Championship - and won.
It was then that Furtado's solid musical potential soared into the bluegrass ranks and led him on the road with Laurie Lewis and Grant Street, playing bluegrass and old-time music. This musical trail led him to ink a deal with Rounder Records to record his debut solo record, Swamped, which was released in 1992. His eclectic sound includes influences from swing, jazz style, Celtic-folk, and old-timey music, and he continues to blend his unique mastery of both banjo and slide guitar with his developing skill as a songwriter and vocalist.