The Bryan Adams Experience

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Canadian guitarist
  • Hit songs
  • Concert venues
  • Tour dates
  • Bryan Adams UK tour

The Bryan Adams Experience

Header Banner

The Bryan Adams Experience

  • Home
  • Canadian guitarist
  • Hit songs
  • Concert venues
  • Tour dates
  • Bryan Adams UK tour
Canadian guitarist
Home›Canadian guitarist›Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis, taken under the wing of Prince, performs on new LPs | National entertainment

Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis, taken under the wing of Prince, performs on new LPs | National entertainment

By Theresa P. Saver
October 1, 2014
0
0


TORONTO – Donna Grantis grew up in the bustling suburb of Mississauga, Ont., And honed her considerable guitar notes at McGill University, but now has both feet firmly planted on the planet Prince.

She remembers the first time she was propelled into the orbit of the pop icon: she received a trivial email asking if she wanted to come to the famous Paisley Park studio in Prince, Minnesota to jam . A phone call soon followed with a short list of songs to learn.

Of course, she was skeptical. But then a ticket arrived for a one-way flight.

His fortune didn’t necessarily become easier to believe when he arrived – the sense of surreal fantasy was only heightened when the chameleon pop star walked into the room, introduced himself, and they began to act.

It’s been almost two years now since Grantis became a member of Prince’s skillful accompaniment group and the all-female trio he led, 3rdEyeGirl.

But no one really gets used to playing with Prince.

“Anytime we play a song, anything can happen anytime,” Grantis explained in a recent phone interview. “Prince is a conductor, so we learned to really follow him. He could break songs down anytime. He could solo anyone. We could start with a setlist but I don’t think that. we have never played a concert where we followed him.

“He’s playing a song and we just have to jump in. Sometimes he even plays something we’ve never done before, like a groove, and we have to react.

“We are ready for anything on stage.”

This week, Purple One spearheaded the release of two albums: “Art Official Age”, a solo record from the multi-instrumental and multi-genre master; and “Plectrumelectrum”, a very groovy record performed by 3rdEyeGirl but written and produced by Prince.

Grantis met with The Canadian Press to discuss the files and help sort out some of the myths surrounding his legendary leader.

CP: You are engaged in a guitar-solo fight match with Prince at the end of the new track “Anotherlove” on “Plectrumelectrum”. How was it ?

Grantis: It was like 4 in the morning one night when we all played the song together. And I was playing the rhythm guitar part and I knew by the end that this whole long jam-out section was going to be one huge, epic solo. And Prince asked me if I wanted to record the solo there or the next day. And I thought, “OK, I’d like to record this tomorrow because I thought it would give me some time to come up with some solo concepts, try different ideas, maybe come up with some stuff.” And he said, “OK. Let’s do it now.” (Laughs)

Prince has this way of getting the best out of everyone he works with. Maybe it’s the adrenaline rush or the great sense of urgency behind it. But I’m really proud of this part. And the ending solo features Prince and I swapping guitar parts every four bars. It’s really cool.

___

CP: I know he can call any song he wants live. Do you know how many songs you’ve learned since joining his bands?

Grantis: No, I don’t know, I lost track. I know it’s in the hundreds.

___

CP: I want to check out some of the rumors I’ve heard about working with Prince. I read 12 hour jam sessions. Guess you don’t get much sleep while working with Prince?

Grantis: No, you don’t. Sleep is overrated.

___

CP: Is it true that you play a ton of ping-pong together?

Grantis: We play a ton of ping pong and it’s pretty intense. But he is an exceptional ping-pong player. And I guess since the first time we all joined the group until now, our ping pong skills have skyrocketed.

___

CP: And I heard he was sending the group short, funny emails?

Grantis: We fully forward messages by email. Yes, he has a great sense of humor.

___

CP: You are joined in 3rdEyeGirl by Hannah Ford and Ida Nielsen. This is not the first time that he has assembled an all-female group. What do you think motivates him to do this?

Grantis: I think he likes the energy that we bring to the table. I have heard him say that he admires the strength of working with women. And I think it’s so cool to have a balance of male and female energy in a band – and anything for that matter.

___

CP: He’s famous for playing “secret” club shows on the same night as practice sessions in a big arena. How far in advance do you know that the second show is taking place?

Grantis: Maybe a few hours before? It’s funny because when we were in UK we did a “Hit n Run” tour. We were there for about a month and just played pop-up shows that were announced on a very short notice. And sometimes we found out about these gigs via Twitter, thanks to fans posting.

___

CP: You studied jazz at school. Where did you see your career end?

Grantis: I absolutely dreamed of it. People asked me, “If you could play with anyone, who would it be?” And my answer was always Prince. He has a reputation for playing with the greatest musicians on the planet. And I thought it would be a privilege and an honor to study and play music with him. So it was always something I hoped for. And it’s amazing that the dream has come true.

– Follow @CP_Patch on Twitter.


Related posts:

  1. Prince guides Canadian guitarist in 3rdEyeGirl
  2. Canadian guitarist CORY MANAHAN dies aged 27 – “Such a talented musician left too early”
  3. Britney Spears Shows Her Yoga Skills To Canadian Guitarist Jesse Cook Track
  4. Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook mixes flamenco, rumba and jazz »Albuquerque Journal

Categories

  • Bryan Adams UK tour
  • Canadian guitarist
  • Concert venues
  • Hit songs
  • Tour dates

Recent Posts

  • Oli Herbert’s widow denies killing guitarist in new interview
  • Avril Lavigne announces dates for 2022 Love Sux concert tour in Japan |
  • Flamenco guitarist and instrumental rocker Roland Grant’s new single is Born of Fire
  • There’s No Pressure On Me To Release Hit Songs – Black Sherif
  • Rachel Bobbitt shares new single from upcoming EP and tour dates with Men I Trust and Sunflower Bean

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • November 2018
  • August 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • November 2016
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • January 2016
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions