Tony Furtado - New Album from an Amazing Musician

How do you classify the music of cross-over innovators like Bela Fleck? Can genius be pigeonholed? I don't think so. Tony Furtado's music, all thirteen albums, are in the same vein. All defy cookie-cutter musical categories.

Somewhere between alternative bluegrass and alternative country - with a few jazz, Celtic and Latin influences for good measure - Furtado is often compared to Bela Fleck. Like Fleck, he started out as a banjo sensation - twice winning the national banjo competition. But unlike Fleck, Furtado extended his instrumental repertoire to include almost everything with wires and wood. His slide guitar playing is exceptional.

Where Bela pushes limits, builds mathematical constructs with his music, and has composed an entire song that is a palindrome, Furtado is driven to extract every last ounce of emotion from every note he plays. A natural storyteller and songwriter, his melodies are sweet, fluid and often haunting. That's when he's not thrashing his slide to evoke some raw country blues with Kelly Joe Phelps on vocals. I love both Fleck and Furtado, but I tend to react to Bela's work with my brain and my feet; and to Tony's music with my heart, soul and body chemistry.

I'm rarely happier than when I'm listening to Furtado's American Gypsy (2002), Tony Furtado Band (2000) or Roll My Blues Away (1997) discs. His music reaches down and turns on a fire hydrant of emotions. It has a welcome, masculine vibe that is strong, confident and unrepentant - sure to appeal to alternative music-loving males as well as their female counterparts. My partner's enthusiasm testifies to that.

Some of Furtado's sweetest slide guitar tunes include: "Can You Hear the Rain," "Promise of a Better Day," Song for Early," and "Crow Country." These songs are the musical equivalent of soulful cowboy poetry, featuring the artist's strong, instrumental voice. And Tony has mastered the art of speaking to his audiences with only his instruments. They weep, cajole and moan. There is authentic passion in all of his music. It's all real, nothing sounds contrived or formulaic. Honest music.

Songs like "Willow Tree," "False Hearted Lover," and Bill Munroe's "Molly and Tenbrooks" showcase Furtado's country blues licks and the sultry moan of Kelly Joe Phelps' unique and pleasing voice.

In January, Tony Furtado released his 13th album; appropriately dubbed 13. It has 13 tracks. Furtado is 39 years old, three times thirteen. The work marks a departure from previous compilations in that it features a bigger cast of supporting musicians, and a nod to alternative, southern-style rock. So this album speaks to the "feet" thing. It is definitely "danceable." In addition to ten original compositions, he performs three covers on this disc. Furtado's covers always bring something new and unexpected to the work of other songwriters. On 13, he offers versions of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Sun," and Elton John's "Take Me to the Pilot." The artist also showcases more of his own vocals on the new disc. He's got a nice tenor, and is maturing as a songwriter.

If you count yourself a fan of alternative bluegrass or country; and you are intrigued by a gifted artist and storyteller, dial-up Furtado's web site and check out his tunes and discography. He's back on a min-tour after a year's hiatus. I'll be there when he appears a the Mobius in Ashland, Oregon in April. Wouldn't miss it.

Guitar Love

Bill Frisell, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Sean Watkins, Martin Taylor, there's no shortage of great guitarists. Good thing. Can't have enough fine guitar pickin, ever. There's something about six wire strings and fine, old, resonant wood. Or a well-made electric hardbody with Humbuckers.

Maybe it's because the guitar can weep, scream, moan and cajole with such a fluid flexibility that it is an ideal instrument for so many styles. Maybe its because carrying and playing a guitar is relatively easy - at some level; or maybe its because our ancestors started stretching things over wood to make music so long ago that the look, feel and sound is so hard-wired in our subconscious that it evokes a common, shared reaction. Probably all of the above.

My first experience with out-of-the-box guitar playing involved English masters John Renbourn and Bert Jansch. John Fahey and Leo Kotte soon followed, then Doc Watson. About that same time, I was listening to Mayall's Blues Breakers and I discovered Eric Clapton. Later the likes of Toby Page, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, Mark Knopfler and Peter Green became my standard guitar fare. Followed by Duane Allman, Eric Johnson, Carlos Santana and SRV. Seeing Peter Frampton recently on PBS made me remember some of his early contributions as well. In short order, I had my own "sunburst" Les Paul (1974), and a fine acoustic Guild with a cut-away. Sold the Les a few years back (really shouldn't have done that in retrospect), but I still have and occasionally play the Guild.

I had an opportunity this summer to catch Larry Carlton and Robben Ford playing together at southern Oregon's fine Britt Music Festival. That show was a guitar player's dream. Ford remains my favorite contemporary bluesman, though there are lots of good ones that come in a very close second. I recently discovered the music of Joe Bonamassa, which really rocks. Johnny Lang and Shannon Curfman represent the "youth" movement in traditional hard rock. Both are accomplished guitarists. Curfman totally rocks, and she's just so cute. Punkers don't count in my estimations, as their guitars are utilized primarily as percussion instruments.

Today, Bluegrass guitarists like Sean Watkins and Tony Furtado (when he's not playing his banjo) are adding new directions to the traditional American Folk lexicon. Kelly-Jo Phelps is shaking up the slide guitar world and stylist, Bill Frisell, is fusing all sorts of unusual sounds together in an entirely new guitar tapestry. Knopfler is back, with his wonderfully minimalist style, paired with Country Diva Emmy Lou Harris in a great collaboration. And Los Lonely Boys front man, Henry Garza is a younger version of Carlos. Lots of talent there.



On the Jazz front, the traditions of French Gypsy great Django Reinhardt are being very well maintained by Martin Taylor and Romane. In fact, Django's style and technical ornamentation can be found in a variety of modern, ensemble groups like 8 1/2 Souvenirs and Pink Martini's Dan Faehnle (who joins the band on tour).

Iberian guitar styles, including Flamenco and Portuguese, will be showcased in a future post.

Bluegrass Fusion

There's more to Bluegrass today than banjos, mandolins, fiddles and guitars. More than whiny, nasal voiced-mountain boys hollering; and more than the traditional breakdowns, camp tunes and spirituals that characterized the genre for so many years.

I started listening to Bluegrass in the late 60s, when Richard Greene, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements and the late Clarence White were simply called: The Bluegrass Band. There was a number of popular folk clubs where I grew up in L.A. about that time: the Troubadour, The Ash Grove and the Ice House; the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach; and the Mecca in Buena Park. All booked bluegrass as well as folk and blues acts. In retrospect, Orange County's Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played a significant role in pushing traditional bluegrass into new directions. For a few months, early on, Jackson Brown played with the Dirt Band. And Clarence White played with the Byrds during one of their many iterations. The stew was starting to simmer with new flavors, even back then.

Toward the end of the folk-music revival of the 60s and early 70s, many alternative and acoustic musicians moved toward country-rock. That was the place to be at the time. Interest in bluegrass moved back from the mainstream to a small niche of aficionados, bands and festivals. The annual Strawberry Festival at the Hetch Hetchy just outside of Yosemite Park has certainly been a West Coast institution for decades. Musical purists like Del McCoury and Ricky Scaggs did their level best to keep the genre afloat and refreshed while the rest of popular culture was rocking-and-rolling.

Then came Alison Krauss, the Joan of Arc of Bluegrass music, just in the nick of time. And just like the super-heroine that she is, she saved the day, refreshed the page, and reinvigorated all things Bluegrass. The whole industry owes her and Union Station a vote of thanks. From that engine of rekindled interest has come a lot of great, new talent. And a lot of new directions.

First, the talent. Individuals like Bella Fleck, Johnny Staats (Wires & Wood) and Allison Brown are having tremendous influence within the genre. Groups like the New Grange, Seldom Scene, and of course, Nickel Creek, are creating new standards, while taking the genre in daring new directions. Adding Celtic flourishes, medieval ornamentation and even classical-sounding riffs to traditional sounding Bluegrass melodies. That's fusion.

Fusion can be defined as combining two nuclei into a third, heavier element with a simultaneous release of high energy. Like adding jazz licks to traditional Bluegrass to create a merged sound that knocks your socks off.

Nobody does that better than Bella Fleck and the Flecktones. How a musical genius like Bella Fleck ended up playing the banjo is still inscrutable to me. But after hearing him live on five occasions and having an opportunity to chat with him backstage at Southern Oregon's Britt Festival, I am convinced that he may be one of the most creative musicians alive. Who else has written a complex, multi-part band tune that is a palindrome? Who else plays Bach on the Banjo?

Bella started out playing Bluegrass. He and Sam Bush were hanging out playing tunes when the Flecktones were just a vague concept taking form in the ether. Now the group, and Bella's vision and love affair with the edge of the envelope, are a principal engine driving alternative Bluegrass.

Sam Bush is fond of straying in to Southern Rock from his Bluegrass roots. His "Memphis in the Mean Time" is a real hoot and puts his own musical point of view into clear focus. This guy likes to rock.

My personal favorite at the moment, as these things are fluid and change, is Tony Furtado. Furtado, an all-American boy, is part Italian and part Portuguese. He must have a little Gypsy in him as well. His tunes and personal performances are beyond what anybody else, except Bella and Nickel Creek, are doing. Known for his banjo, which is certainly daring - and also displays technical virtuosity, it is Furtado's slide guitar that most appeals to me. His tunes are engaging and his instrumental performance is minimalist, never an unnecessary note. Still, his licks are just about perfect. The kind of music that invites deeper involvement and appreciation. But hey, that's just my opinion. Check him out and see for yourself.

I'm going to write more about "fusion" later, as it is an interest of mine and a central theme of Pop Impulse. Some times fusing different elements works, and sometimes it doesn't (look for a future post titled: White Men Playing Didgeridoos). I like what I'm hearing in the Bluegrass world a lot, and am encouraged that this particular American institution has a long and productive life left to live in our popular culture.

Slide Guitar Sightings

I have always had an interest in virtuoso guitarists. A wonderful instrument, the guitar. An evolutionary extension of the lute family. Easy to learn the basics, easy to play at a perfectly functional level, and perhaps most important: a lot easier to carry than a piano. Like many other guys, I learned guitar to impress girls and enhance my opportunities to, ah, communicate.

Guitar players, like the music they perform, come in all flavors. French Gypsies like Django Reinhard; Flamenco virtuosos like Pepe Romero; acoustic masters like Leo Kottke; Classical legends like John Williams; country pickers like Sean Watkins; good old rock and rollers like Johnny Winter or Eric Clapton; and, Calcutta slide guitar pandits like V.M Bhatt.

I've been listening to a lot of great slide guitar lately, and that got me on a mad research rage through the net and my ever-growing collection of digital music. From my own collection, I dialed up a playlist of all of Tony Furtado's slide tunes. Being a resident of my own neighborhood, the Pacific Northwest, Furtado is a personal favorite. He's really known for his banjo, which people are forever comparing to Bella. Sure, they're both out-of-the-box but IMHO the similarity ends there.

I love Furtado for his slide, and his engaging, emotional tunes that are beautifully minimalist. Not an unnecessary note. Tight, without being sparse. As a bonus, Kelly Jo Phelps - himself an accomplished and celebrated slide player - adds his bluesy growl to several of Furtado's songs. What a great pairing. If you haven't heard Kelly Jo's version of "Goodnight Irene" on his own disc, Shine Eyed Mister Zen, check it out for a real treat.

Arlen Roth is an unsung institution. I should know. After years of serious guitar worship, I just found out about the guy. I'm humbled. He's awesome, and always has been. Raucous, Southern slide slamming - often at full speed - that's Arlen Roth. The guy can shift gears, however. His acoustic version of Layla is something special. We send him our love and celebrate his passage from considerable recent grief to a better place and his resultant new work. Dial-up Arlen Roth: When A Man Loves a Woman. Check it out.

Slide guitar players ply their trade across a variety of musical styles. Rock and Blues genres have always had a lion's share of the greatest slide players. Eric Clapton, Duane Alman, Eric Johnson, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, and a personal favorite: Robben Ford. Alternative country bands also spotlight the slide.



Now here's the brain warp. My wife and I were at Quebec City's really wonderful Summer party, the Festival d'ete, a few years back listening to music all day at sites all over historic old-town. On the steps of the main, downtown station we stumbled on this Indian guy playing slide. Yea, uh huh. Still, stranger things have happened so we sat on a 400 year-old wall and listened. This guy, V.M. Bhatt, played a modified Gibson archtop acoustic that he had modified with 17 additional strings. That's right, 17. Bottom line, the instrument became more Sitar-like and better able to handle the complicated scales of classical Hidustani music. He played a lot of that, then launched into a lighting fast version of Orange Blossom Special. We were floored.

Right there and then I decided that Mr. Bhatt was the best slide played I had ever heard. Who'd thought? I've come to find out that there is an entire school of Calcutta Slide Guitar, and another master that deserves attention. Debashish Battacharaya. These players are technically gifted, as musicians of Indian Carnatic music must be to perform. True masters who studied under Pandits as novices for years of disciplined instruction. Their music pushes the limits.