# Atlanta Bliss

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{{short description|American jazz trumpeter|bot=PearBOT 5}}
'''Matthew "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan''' (born c. 1952) is an American [jazz](/source/jazz) [trumpet](/source/trumpet)er. He is best known for his work with [Prince](/source/Prince_(musician)) from 1985–1991. He won the [Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_R%26B_Performance_by_a_Duo_or_Group_with_Vocals) for the 1986 single "[Kiss](/source/Kiss_(Prince_song))" by Prince.<ref name="signorini"/>

==Life and career==
A native of [Peters Township, Pennsylvania](/source/Peters_Township%2C_Washington_County%2C_Pennsylvania), Blistan was 33 years old and living in [Atlanta](/source/Atlanta) when friend and [Duquesne University](/source/Duquesne_University) classmate, [Eric Leeds](/source/Eric_Leeds), brought him to [Prince](/source/Prince_(musician))'s attention. He joined Prince's band, [The Revolution](/source/The_Revolution_(band)), in 1985, and first recorded the song, "[Mountains](/source/Mountains_(Prince_song))", released on the 1986 album, ''[Parade](/source/Parade_(Prince_album))'', a soundtrack to the 1986 film, ''[Under the Cherry Moon](/source/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](/source/Sign_o'_the_Times_(film))'', and performed on the track, "Sticky Wicked", with [Miles Davis](/source/Miles_Davis) from [Chaka Khan](/source/Chaka_Khan)'s 1988 album ''[CK](/source/CK_(album))''. Blistan left the band in 1991 and moved back to [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh).<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 22, 2016 |title=Pittsburgh musician recalls years he spent playing with Prince |publisher=[WPXI-TV](/source/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](/source/TribLive) |url=http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10347914-74/prince-blistan-musician |accessdate=April 22, 2016 }}</ref>

==Discography==
*''[Parade](/source/Parade_(Prince_album))'' (1986) – [Prince](/source/Prince_(musician)) & [the Revolution](/source/The_Revolution_(band))  
*''[Sign o' the Times](/source/Sign_o'_the_Times)'' (1987) – Prince
*''[Lovesexy](/source/Lovesexy)'' (1988) – Prince
*''[CK](/source/CK_(album))'' (1988) – [Chaka Khan](/source/Chaka_Khan)
*''[Time Waits for No One](/source/Time_Waits_for_No_One_(Mavis_Staples_album))'' (1989) –  [Mavis Staples](/source/Mavis_Staples)
*''[Batman](/source/Batman_(album))'' (1989) – Prince
*''[The Cinderella Theory](/source/The_Cinderella_Theory)'' (1989) –  [George Clinton](/source/George_Clinton_(funk_musician))
*''[Graffiti Bridge](/source/Graffiti_Bridge_(album))'' (1990) – Prince
*''[The Hits/The B-Sides](/source/The_Hits%2FThe_B-Sides)'' (1993) – Prince
*''[The Hits 1](/source/The_Hits_1)'' (1993) – Prince
*''[I'm Ready](/source/I'm_Ready_(Tevin_Campbell_album))'' (1993) – [Tevin Campbell](/source/Tevin_Campbell)
*''[Carmen Electra](/source/Carmen_Electra_(album))'' (1993) – [Carmen Electra](/source/Carmen_Electra)
*''[The Black Album](/source/The_Black_Album_(Prince_album))'' (1994) – Prince
*''[Crystal Ball](/source/Crystal_Ball_(box_set))'' (1998) – Prince; box set 
*''[Ultimate Prince](/source/Ultimate_Prince)'' (2006) – Prince
*''1986-1991: The Warner Years'' (2011) – [Miles Davis](/source/Miles_Davis)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Atlanta+Bliss Discogs page]

{{authority control}}

{{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)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Atlanta Bliss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Bliss) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Bliss?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.