Al Petteway
Encyclopedia
Al Petteway is an American
guitar
ist known primarily for his acoustic fingerstyle work. He won a Grammy award in 2005 for his rendition of "The Thornbirds".
, 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.
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.
Much of Al Petteway's music was used in the Ken Burns documentary on the National Parks which aired on PBS in 2009 and 2010.
Petteway lives with his wife near Asheville, North Carolina
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist known primarily for his acoustic fingerstyle work. He won a Grammy award in 2005 for his rendition of "The Thornbirds".
Biography
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 PaxtonTom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, Jethro Burns, Jonathan Edwards, Cheryl Wheeler
Cheryl Wheeler
Cheryl Wheeler is an American singer-songwriter of contemporary folk music, based in New England. To date, she has recorded several folk albums, and has toured extensively throughout the United States....
, Debi Smith
Debi Smith
Debi Smith is an American folk singer/songwriter. She has been a member of Four Bitchin' Babes since 1994.Smith began her career performing with her sister, Megan Smith, as The Smith Sisters. They released five albums together on Flying Fish Records, which featured accompaniment from musicians such...
, Bonnie Rideout
Bonnie Rideout
Bonnie Rideout is a fiddler in the Scottish style, consistently featured on The Thistle & Shamrock, a Celtic music radio show broadcast by the United States' NPR. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.-External links:*...
, Maggie Sansone
Maggie Sansone
Maggie Sansone is a hammered dulcimer player and recording artist from Miami, Florida.- Biography :Sansone started recording her music in 1984...
and many others. His own compositions rely heavily on Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
and Appalachian influences and he is known for his use of DADGAD
DADGAD
DADGAD, D modal tuning or Celtic tuning is an alternative guitar tuning most associated with Celtic music, though it has also found use in rock and other genres. Instead of the standard EADGBE tuning, the six guitar strings are tuned, from low to high, DADGAD...
tuning.
Petteway's music has been featured on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
and on PBS television specials by Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
, most notably The National Parks: America's Best Idea
The National Parks: America's Best Idea
The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a 2009 documentary film for television, DVD and companion book by director/producer Ken Burns and producer/writer Dayton Duncan which features the United States National Park system and traces the system's history...
(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"
Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality instrumental albums in the pop music genre...
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
Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar
Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar is a compilation album of popular works by Henry Mancini, produced by James R. Jensen and released through Solid Air Records in 2004. Jensen asked guitar players on his record label to contribute some of their favorite compositions to the album...
. 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.
Much of Al Petteway's music was used in the Ken Burns documentary on the National Parks which aired on PBS in 2009 and 2010.
Petteway lives with his wife near Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
.
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.)