Bryan Sutton
Encyclopedia
Bryan Sutton is an American
musician
. Primarily known as a flatpicked
acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays many other instruments including mandolin
, banjo
, and electric guitar
.
Sutton first came to prominence as part of Ricky Skaggs
' bluegrass
band Kentucky Thunder. Sutton eventually left the band to focus on session work. In addition to Skaggs, Sutton has toured with the Dixie Chicks
, Jerry Douglas
, Sam Bush
, Béla Fleck
, Hot Rize
, Chris Thile
, Tony Rice
and others.
In 2007, Sutton toured with Chris Thile
& The How to Grow a Band, filling in for Chris Eldridge
while he was on tour with the Infamous Stringdusters
.
. He plays a Bourgeois "Country Boy Deluxe" model dreadnought and also has his own signature model, the "Banjo Killer" slope-shouldered dreadnought. He also regularly performs with a 1940 Martin D-28.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Primarily known as a flatpicked
Flatpicking
Flatpicking is a technique for playing a guitar using a guitar pick held between two or three fingers to strike the strings...
acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays many other instruments including mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
.
Sutton first came to prominence as part of Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
' bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band Kentucky Thunder. Sutton eventually left the band to focus on session work. In addition to Skaggs, Sutton has toured with the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas (musician)
Jerry Douglas is an American record producer and resonator guitar player. Called "Dobro's matchless contemporary master," by The New York Times, and lauded as "my favorite musician" by John Fogerty, Douglas is one of the world’s most renowned Dobro players.-Career:In addition to his twelve solo...
, Sam Bush
Sam Bush
Sam Bush is an American bluegrass mandolin player considered an originator of the Newgrass style.- History :...
, Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
, Hot Rize
Hot Rize
Hot Rize is a bluegrass band that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. Established in 1978, the founding members were Mike Scap , Tim O'Brien on mandolin and fiddle, Pete Wernick on banjo and Charles Sawtelle on bass....
, Chris Thile
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
, Tony Rice
Tony Rice
Tony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
and others.
In 2007, Sutton toured with Chris Thile
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
& The How to Grow a Band, filling in for Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer best known for being a member of Punch Brothers. He was also a founding member of the bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. His father is noted banjoist Ben Eldridge of the Seldom Scene.-Punch Brothers:...
while he was on tour with the Infamous Stringdusters
Infamous Stringdusters
The Infamous Stringdusters are a bluegrass band. The band emerged in 2007 with the acclaimed album Fork in the Road on Sugar Hill Records. The band's current line-up features Andy Hall , Andy Falco , Chris Pandolfi , Jeremy Garrett , and Travis Book...
.
Gear
Sutton endorses guitars built by Dana BourgeoisDana Bourgeois
Dana Bourgeois is a luthier who heads a small guitar shop, Pantheon Guitars, in Lewiston, Maine.He makes traditionally styled acoustic guitars used in bluegrass and other acoustic music genres....
. He plays a Bourgeois "Country Boy Deluxe" model dreadnought and also has his own signature model, the "Banjo Killer" slope-shouldered dreadnought. He also regularly performs with a 1940 Martin D-28.
Solo albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Bluegrass | ||
| Ready to Go |
|
— |
| Bluegrass Guitar |
|
— |
| Not Too Far from the Tree |
|
8 |
| Almost Live |
|
9 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
Awards
- 2000 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year
- 2003 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year
- 2004 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year
- 2005 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year
- 2006 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year
- 2007 - Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Country Instrumental PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1970 to 2011. Between 1986 and 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance ....
for Whiskey Before Breakfast w/ Doc Watson