{{short description|American jazz trumpeter|bot=PearBOT 5}} '''Matthew "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan''' (born c. 1952) is an American jazz trumpeter. He is best known for his work with Prince from 1985–1991. He won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the 1986 single "Kiss" by Prince.<ref name="signorini"/>
==Life and career== A native of Peters Township, Pennsylvania, Blistan was 33 years old and living in Atlanta when friend and Duquesne University classmate, Eric Leeds, brought him to Prince's attention. He joined Prince's band, The Revolution, in 1985, and first recorded the song, "Mountains", released on the 1986 album, ''Parade'', a soundtrack to the 1986 film, ''Under the Cherry Moon''. He was spontaneously given the nickname Atlanta Bliss one day as Prince entered the recording studio, singing and dancing, stating, "Atlanta Bliss plays like this."<ref name="signorini"/>
Blistan spent thousands of hours recording and rehearsing with Prince over the next 6 years.<ref name="signorini"/> He appeared in the 1987 concert film, ''Sign o' the Times'', and performed on the track, "Sticky Wicked", with Miles Davis from Chaka Khan's 1988 album ''CK''. Blistan left the band in 1991 and moved back to Pittsburgh.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 22, 2016 |title=Pittsburgh musician recalls years he spent playing with Prince |publisher=WPXI-TV |url=http://www.wpxi.com/news/pittsburgh-musician-recalls-years-he-spent-playing-with-prince/236757748 |accessdate=April 23, 2016 }}</ref> He continued to work on occasion with Leeds.
Blistan is married to Mary Anne Blistan, and the couple have two children.<ref name="signorini">{{Cite web |first=Renatta |last=Signorini |date=April 21, 2016 |title=Ligonier Township man who toured with Prince calls him 'quiet lion' |publisher=TribLive |url=http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10347914-74/prince-blistan-musician |accessdate=April 22, 2016 }}</ref>
==Discography== *''Parade'' (1986) – Prince & the Revolution *''Sign o' the Times'' (1987) – Prince *''Lovesexy'' (1988) – Prince *''CK'' (1988) – Chaka Khan *''Time Waits for No One'' (1989) – Mavis Staples *''Batman'' (1989) – Prince *''The Cinderella Theory'' (1989) – George Clinton *''Graffiti Bridge'' (1990) – Prince *''The Hits/The B-Sides'' (1993) – Prince *''The Hits 1'' (1993) – Prince *''I'm Ready'' (1993) – Tevin Campbell *''Carmen Electra'' (1993) – Carmen Electra *''The Black Album'' (1994) – Prince *''Crystal Ball'' (1998) – Prince; box set *''Ultimate Prince'' (2006) – Prince *''1986-1991: The Warner Years'' (2011) – Miles Davis
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Atlanta+Bliss Discogs page]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bliss, Atlanta}} Category:American jazz trumpeters Category:American male trumpeters Category:Duquesne University alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jazz musicians from Pittsburgh Category:The Revolution (band) members Category:Living people Category:21st-century American trumpeters Category:21st-century American male musicians Category:American male jazz musicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people)