I met Phil back in 2004 when he was working at Guitar Center in Commack NY. I was browsing the guitars on the rack and Phil came over and asked if I needed any help. Of course, I told him I was ok and I was  just browsing. He directed my attention to a nice Les Paul that just came in. “You know this is a great sounding Paul” He said as he plugged it into an amp. Once he started to play, my jaw hit the floor. There was something about his playing that was special and unique. There was a special sense of phrasing he had that you don’t get from the weekend warrior network or working at Guitar Center. From that day forward Phil and I became friends.

He had come over one day to my studio with two disks worth of material that he had recorded either by himself or with Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Rhythm Section!). He wanted  to know if I could master then for him and help him put together his first solo CD. Of course I jumped at the chance. I think the resulting CD “Some Kind Of Hurricane” was way ahead of it’s time! Phil was a great musician, songwriter and friends and he will be missed.

Phil Grande was a noted NYC session and touring guitarist.

Phil has also recorded and/or toured with Stevie Ray Vaughn, Blue Oyster Cult, Dan Hartman, Ellen Foley, Michael Monroe (of Hanoi Rocks), Peter Chriss (of Kiss), TM Stevens, Gary U.S. Bonds, Belinda Carlisle, Patti Smyth and Scandal, Charlie Midnight and Francesca Beghe.

Phil Grande started working as a studio musician in NY in 1982 and got his big break in 1987 , when classic rock legend Joe Cocker recognized his talent and hired him as a guitarist on the record Unchain My Heart (with associated title track hit). He worked with Joe Cocker from 1987 to 1993, touring and recording many of his hits from that era. These include six world tours with Joe Cocker, and several albums including “Unchain My Heart,” “One Night of Sin,” “When the Night Comes,” “Joe Cocker Live,” “Night Calls,” and “Two Rooms” (Elton John tribute). 

While he was with Cocker, Grande also explored his more rocky side on the New York club scene. He became a close friend of singer Michael Monroe and joined in 1987 with his band Secret Chiefs . Phil Grande played guitar on Monroe’s first solo album Nights Are So Long . Grande also participated in Monroe’s most successful solo album Not Fakin ‘It (including Kenny Aaronson , Ian Hunter and Thommy Price ) and toured with Michael after the piano tramp Jerusalem Slim 1992 . He also helped Monroe write many of his songs.

1992, Grande joined the blues guitarist Bo Weevil’s blues band Vitamin Blue and acted as a mentor for the young guitarist, who in 2003 released his first album. In 2005 Phil once again teamed up with another young guitar player John Pagano who became part of his band while he mentored him in the guitar and songwriting. John Released his first solo CD “Die Happy” under the name JPBlues. This release had several Phil Grande compositions on it. It was also in 2005 Phil Released his first solo release “Some Kind of Hurricane” which he recorded over the years either completely performed by himself and with “Double Trouble” as the backing band! This was mastered at Midnight Circus Productions!

During the 1990s and 2000s. Grande has mainly played in smaller blues circles, but has also borrowed his guitar for artists such as Peter Criss , Joe Bonamassa , Belinda Carlisle (on the album A Woman & A Man , where Per Gessle also plays), Bertie Higgins , Blue Öyster Cult and Southside Johnny . In the 21st century, he also founded the band life.com together with Kenny Aaronson and Tommy Mandel . The jazz / rock band is part of the charity program The Miracle of Music, which supports foster children, children with special needs and poor children in the United States . They released the record Beautiful in 2000 , the entire purchase price of which goes in full to the organization.

DISCOGRAPHY

Charlie Midnight – Innocent Bystander ‎(LP, Album)	CBS, Decent Records	SBP 237794, ABC37727	1982
		Peter Criss – Let Me Rock You (ExBaterista Kiss)  2 versions	Casablanca		1982
		Ellen Foley – Another Breath  3 versions	Cleveland International Records		1983
		Gary U.S. Bonds And The American Men – Standing In The Line Of Fire 4 versions	Phoenix Records And Tapes		1984
		Blue Öyster Cult – Club Ninja  21 versions	Columbia		1985
		Price* – Sulton* – Lights On  6 versions	CBS Associated Records		1986
		Price* – Sulton* – Shotgun Shy ‎(12″, Promo)	CBS Associated Records, CBS Associated Records	ZAS 2561, XSS 175556	1986
		Price* – Sulton* – Stories ‎(12″, Promo)	CBS Associated Records, CBS Associated Records	ZAS 2637, XSS 175843	1986
		Mitchell Lewis (2) – Mitchell Lewis ‎(LP)	Lizzie Productions	LP805	1986
		Star and 4 more…Paul King (2) – Joy ‎(LP, Album)	CBS, CBS	CBS 450529 1, 01-450529-20	1987
		Michael Monroe – Nights Are So Long  9 versions	Yahoo! Records		1987
		All Our Tomorrows and 9 more…Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart  62 versions	Capitol Records, Capitol Records		1987
		The Monroes – Everything’s Forgiven  3 versions	EMI		1987
		Two Wrongs (LP Version) and 1 more…Joe Cocker – Two Wrongs ‎(12″)	Capitol Records	14 2025966	1988
		Michael Monroe – Not Fakin’ It  8 versions	Vertigo		1989
		Born To Be WildVarious – Guitar’s Practicing Musicians  2 versions	Guitar Recordings, Guitar Recordings		1989
		Joe Cocker – One Night Of Sin  24 versions	Capitol Records, Capitol Records		1989
		Unchain My HeartVarious – The Best Of 1980-1990 Vol. II  4 versions	EMI Germany		1990
		Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker Live  34 versions	Capitol Records, Capitol Records		1990
		Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest WordVarious – Two Rooms: Celebrating The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin  52 versions	Mercury		1991
		Not Too Young To Die Of A Broken HeartJoe Cocker – Night Calls  23 versions	Capitol Records, Capitol Records		1991
		Lost In AmericaFrancesca Beghè* – Francesca Beghè ‎(CD, Album)	SBK Records	K2-96206	1991
		Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest WordVarious – Two Rooms: Celebrating The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin ‎(CD, Album)	MMC Records (2)	CD MMC 9504	1991
		Feels Like Forever and 8 more…Joe Cocker – The Best Of Joe Cocker  8 versions	Capitol Records		1992
		California and 1 more…Belinda Carlisle – A Woman & A Man  7 versions	Chrysalis, Chrysalis		1996

		Joe Cocker – Greatest Hits  11 versions	EMI, EMI Electrola		1998
		Perfect Water (as Phil and 2 more…T.M. Stevens – Radioactive ‎(CD, Album)	Victor	VICP-60600	1999
		Now That The Magic Has Gone and 2 more…Joe Cocker – Ultimate Collection  3 versions	Hip-O Records, A&M Records		2004
		Now That The Magic Has Gone and 3 more…Joe Cocker – Gold  3 versions	Hip-O Records, Chronicles, UMe		2006
Writing & Arrangement
		Thrill Me and 3 more…Michael Monroe – Not Fakin’ It  9 versions	Vertigo		1989
		Shakedown and 1 more…Michael Monroe – Dead Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll  5 versions	Mercury		1989
		Man With No Eyes Michael Monroe – Man With No Eyes  4 versions	Vertigo		1989
		Life By The Hour T.M. Stevens – Out Of Control (6) – Sticky Wicked ‎(CD, Album)	Polystar	PSCW-5370	1996
		Perfect Water T.M. Stevens – Radioactive ‎(CD, Album)	Victor	VICP-60600	1999
Production
		Michael Monroe – Dead Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll ‎(12″, Ltd)	Vertigo, Phonogram	VERXP 45, 876 529-1	1989

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