Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

, ukulele, and

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

. He also sings and writes songs.

Biography

Early career

Sutton's grandfather and father were regionally recognized fiddlers, and Sutton grew up playing in the family band, the Pisgah Pickers. In 1991, he played guitar for Karen Peck and New River, a gospel group. In 1993, he moved to Nashville.

Ricky Skaggs

Sutton first came to prominence in 1997 as lead guitarist in Ricky Skaggs' band Kentucky Thunder when Skaggs returned to bluegrass. Sutton eventually left the band to focus on session work.

Hot Rize

Bryan was asked to join the bluegrass quartet Hot Rize in 2002. He has toured and recorded with them ever since, and has only missed one show since they re-formed.

Session work and touring

In addition to Skaggs and Hot Rize, Sutton has toured with the

Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) an ...

, Jerry Douglas,

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Reviva ...

, Béla Fleck, Hot Rize, Chris Thile, Tony Rice and others. In 2007-08, Sutton toured with Chris Thile & The How to Grow a Band, a project which later turned into the Punch Brothers. Bryan is one of the most in-demand session players in Nashville, and recently produced a record for Della Mae and the Cash Cabin. His style is a unique blend of staccato mixed with powerful chromatic and melodic movements which is integrated into the more common bluegrass, blues and folk leads that are common to the genre.

Other projects

In June, 2011 he launched th
Online Bluegrass Guitar School with Bryan Sutton
as part of the ArtistWorksbr>Academy of Bluegrass
In 2013, Sutton recorded the album ''Ready for the Times'' with

T. Michael Coleman Thomas Michael Coleman (born January 3, 1951) is an American bass player of bluegrass and folk music. He is best known for work with Doc Watson and the Seldom Scene. Biography Doc Watson Coleman grew up in Mayodan, North Carolina, graduating f ...

and David Holt. They recorded the album as a tribute to Doc Watson. The trio got together in 2011, and have performed frequently under the name Deep River Rising.

Recordings

For ''Almost Live'', Sutton was joined by 17 guest musicians, including Béla Fleck (banjo), Jerry Douglas (resonator guitar), Russ Barenberg (guitar), Chris Thile (mandolin), and Stuart Duncan (fiddle). Sutton's album ''Into My Own'' featured guests Bill Frisell (guitar),

Ronnie McCoury Ronnie McCoury is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter (born March 16, 1967). He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin' McCourys. Biography Ronnie M ...

(mandolin), and Noam Pikelny (banjo). On 2016's ''The More I Learn'', Sutton continued to develop and showcase his singing and songwriting skills. The album prominently features Bryan Sutton Band members Casey Campbell (mandolin), Mike Barnett (fiddle), and Sam Grisman (bass).

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 Performance The 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 (Orchestra, Group or Soloist). In 2012 the awar ...

for ''Whiskey Before Breakfast'' w/ Doc Watson. The song was recorded using 3 vintage Neumann microphones and a laptop in a Colorado hotel room by Engineer Phil Harris. *2011 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year *2013 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year *2014 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year *2014 - ''Into My Own'' was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category *2015 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year *2016 - IBMA Guitar Player of the Year

Gear

Bryan support
Bourgeois Guitars
and performs regularly with his own signature model,
Bourgeois Bryan Sutton Limited Edition
He also uses a Bourgeois
Country Boy Deluxe
model dreadnought, and a Bourgeois
Banjo Killer
slope-shouldered dreadnought, which is another model directly inspired by Bryan. He also regularly performs with a 1940

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

D-28.

Discography

References

External links

BryanSutton.com, Official site
* *
Online Bluegrass Guitar School with Bryan Sutton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton, Bryan Bluegrass musicians from North Carolina American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners Living people American mandolinists Resonator guitarists American country banjoists 1973 births American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists American bluegrass mandolinists Musicians from Asheville, North Carolina Guitarists from North Carolina American session musicians 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers Country musicians from North Carolina 21st-century American guitarists Punch Brothers members Hot Rize members Kentucky Thunder members American male singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from North Carolina