"White guides the listener from the profound to the whimsical and back again with all the ease of a brilliant conversationalist." - Women Today (Anna Garris Goiser) "Besides having one of the most beautiful voices around, Amy White writes some of the most enchanting songs you'll ever hear. And teamed up with her husband Grammy award winning guitarist, Al Petteway, you've got one of the most captivating contemporary folk duos anywhere." - KZGM (Butch Kara) “…this latest album from singer-songwriter Amy White—with additional accompaniment by husband Al Petteway—is a pure musical joy from beginning to end…” - Maverick (Alan Cackett) "Played the Amy White/Al Petteway CD this AM and got interesting phone calls … comments about her lovely voice and also comments about how the show 's music reached into peoples hearts and moved them, particularly Amy's work. Not the average drive time experience! I'm gonna send you my therapists bill for stirring up so many feelings. Thank you Amy & Al!" - Doug Echols, WPKN ________________________________________________________ Introductory Note from the "Didn't We Waltz" Liner Notes: _________________________________________________________ Soon after my first album of songs was released, I was all ready to concentrate on instrumental composition again, but the lyrics and melodies kept coming. And so did the surprises. In all honesty, I tried to not write a couple of the songs on this album as they were very out of character for me. "King Size Bed" is one of those songs. The inspiration was a nearly endless search for a good mattress. When yet another one of our new mattresses was showing early signs of hammock-effect, I joked with my husband that we needed to put a new groove on our king size bed. That sounded quite like a song to me, so despite initial reluctance I wrote verses for the chorus that had immediately sprung to mind. Please rest assured that no dogs were miffed in the making of this song. Al and I actually upgraded to a king-size bed in order to make more room for all of our critters. Which brings me to "More Like My Dog." For those of you who are squeamish about sexual innuendo, I get it. I can be averse to that kind of humor, as well. I'm not a big fan of silly songs, either. That is why this song also came as a complete surprise. The piano accompaniment is probably the result of a childhood spent eavesdropping on classical music lessons. It reminds me of some of the recitatives my mother taught her voice students. I wrote this in part for the many fans who were deeply touched by my earlier song, "The Best Dog." I learned that a few of those fans didn't like being brought to tears, at least not in public, so I wanted to offer them this light-hearted alternative. Of course infidelity is right up there on the pain scale along with the death of a beloved pet, so I may not have made things any easier. I guess I just couldn't resist drawing out the analogy. For those of you who prefer complete gravity in songwriting, I thank you in advance for your understanding. I promise that I wrote a few songs for you, too. It was a very challenging time between my last recording and this. "Waltz with Grief" surfaced amidst despair and worry, and after a cathartic conversation with a kind friend. "Never Got To Say Goodbye" was in response to great loss, and to the heartbreak that dementia can cause. The song came to me on the first day Al's mother no longer recognized her own husband. I can find it a little too easy to wallow, or cling to the tortured-artist persona. (That confession should come as no surprise to some of you.) Perhaps this penchant partially explains my fondness for grand architecture in ruins. "The wallpaper cries and the curtains moan" is a pivotal line from the song, "Love Among the Ruins" which was initially inspired by my favorite recurring childhood dreams. I wanted to honor the thrill of those dreams, combine that thrill with my passion for beautiful architecture in decay, and to imagine a story that married the two. But darkness should have its limits. When it became obvious my muse was trying to give me a pep-talk, I tried my best not to be rude and occasionally invited her to stay. So, in the event of tracks 5, 8, or 10, please see track 6. (Or tracks 11, 1, or 9.) For those of you who prefer their encouragement with a very generous side of bittersweet, there is "Tinderbox Heart." My friend Sally Sparks deserves special mention here. Sally is brilliant and plays a wicked-cool instrument, too. All the parts she created for this album on her Haken Continuum Fingerboard are not only truly gorgeous, they also feel as if they were lifted straight from my heart. There are a few songs on this album that I simply could not record without the contribution of another dear friend, Sally Van Meter. Sally's emotional delivery on resophonic slide guitar is exquisite and unmatched. What a joy it is to have my songs graced by these sweet Sally sounds. Finally, this music would not exist if it were not for my husband and true love, the amazingly talented Al Petteway. I am so grateful for this wonderful life we have and for all that we have created together. I originally wrote "The Didn't We Waltz" for us, although it is also in honor of all who remain steadfast on the side of love.