Al Petteway

Al Petteway is a Grammy-winning American guitarist known primarily for his acoustic fingerstyle work both as a soloist and with well-known folk artists such as Amy White, Tom Paxton, Jethro Burns, Jonathan Edwards, Cheryl Wheeler, Debi Smith, Bonnie Rideout, Maggie Sansone and many others. His own compositions rely heavily on Celtic and Appalachian influences and he is known for his use of DADGAD tuning.

Biography

Petteway's music has been featured on NPR and on PBS television specials by Ken Burns, most notably The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009). His recordings, music books, and instructional videotapes have gained him a large following of devoted fans around the globe. His playing is featured on more than sixty recordings by some of the world's best known folk and Celtic musicians. Since 1996, he has performed exclusively with his wife, Amy White. They have been Artists in Residence at The Kennedy Center and at Warren Wilson College. Petteway is also the Guitar Week coordinator for the world famous "Swannanoa Gathering" music camp at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, N.C.

In 2005, Al Petteway won a Grammy award in the "Best Pop Instrumental Album" category for his rendition of "The Thornbirds" that appeared on a compilation of solo guitar renditions of Henry Mancini compositions titled Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar. Before that he and Amy were awarded an Indie award for their duo guitar album Gratitude. Al Petteway has been awarded 45 "Wammies" by the Washington Area Music Association including the top honors of "Artist of the Year" and "Musician of the Year". He was the recipient of two Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards for Music Composition and performed at the Vice President's House and The White House during the Clinton administration.

In 2012, he was given the "Master Music Makers" award by Warren Wilson College and the Swannanoa Gathering.

Petteway lives with his wife Amy White near Asheville, North Carolina.

Discography

• 1992: Whispering Stones (Maggie's Music)
• 1993: The Waters and the Wild (Maggie's Music)
• 1995: Midsummer Moon (Maggie's Music)
• 1996: A Scottish Christmas (Maggie's Music)
• 1997: Caledon Wood (Maggie's Music)
• 1999: Racing Hearts (Fairewood Records)
• 2001: Gratitude (Solid Air Records)
• 2003: Shades of Blue (Solid Air Records)
• 2003: A Midnight Clear (Dorian Records)
• 2004: Celtic, Blues and Beyond DVD, Book, Cd (Warner Bros./Solid Air Records)
• 2004: Acoustic Journey (Maggie's Music)
• 2005: Land of the Sky (Maggie's Music)
• 2006: Winter Tidings (Maggie's Music)
• 2008: Dream Guitars, Vol. I - The Golden Age of Lutherie (Dream Guitars, Inc.)
• 2010: "High In the Blue Ridge" (Fairewood Studios)
• 2012: "It's Only The Blues" (Fairewood Studios)
• 2012: "Home, Sweet Home -Songs of Love, Loss and Belonging" (Fairewood Studios)

Al Petteway Instructional DVDs:

Blues Guitar Arrangements in DADGAD Tuning

Appalachian Fingerstyle in DADGAD Tuning (Vol. I & II)

Celtic Instrumentals For Fingerstyle Guitar Vol. I (DADGAD)

Celtic Instrumentals For Fingerstyle Guitar Vol. II (Alternate Tunings)

Celtic, Blues & Beyond

DADGAD Guitar Solos (with Doug Smith & Lawrence Juber)

Acoustic Blues Solos (with Kenny Sultan & Mike Dowling)

Al Petteway Music Folio and Instructional CDs from Solid Air Records/Alfred Publications:

Celtic, Blues & Beyond - Al Petteway

Acoustic Blues Solos - Al Petteway, Kenny Sultan, Mike Dowling

DADGAD Guitar Solos - Al Petteway, Doug Smith, Lawrence Juber

Pink Guitar - The Music of Henry Mancini

Music Books from Mel Bay Publications:

MBGU Fingerstyle Curriculum: Contemporary Solos (Book/CD Set)

Al Petteway Books Available from Amazon.com:

The Waters and The Wild

Whispering Stones

Midsummer Moon

Caledon Wood

A Scottish Christmas for Guitar

Al Petteway Music Books Available as PDF's

It's Only The Blues

Dream Guitars, Vol. I

References

www.alandamy.com

External links

• Homepage Al Petteway