Faces in the Crowd: Mr. Banjo

Tony Furtado wowed the crowd with his creative banjo and guitar playing at the Dolores River Brewery last week. "I've driven through this town a lot, so it's nice to finally stop and play for you," Furtado told an energetic full house. Furtado took up the banjo at age 12, inspired by the "Beverly Hillbillies" TV show and a sixth-grade music report. He attracted national attention in 1987, when he won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kan., and has performed throughout the world at top venues. In 1990, he signed a recording deal with Rounder Records and recorded six critically acclaimed albums, collaborating with Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Stuart Duncan, Kelly Joe Phelps and Mike Marshall.