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I’ve always said I would travel nearly anywhere to see Michael Grande perform. I belive his seductive voice and phenomenal five-fingered picking brightens any day. Apparently my belief includes even weather. I left the New York airport in the rain, and arrived in Tucson to find rain slashing sideways in the wind. But Sunday morning, I awoke to gorgeous sunny skies and temperatures hovering in the high 60s.
I traveled to visit and talk with Grande about his upcoming concert at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. “I’m extremely excited about this concert” Michael said, “Our Lady of the Mountains is a perfect place to perform. The acoustics are wonderful, the stage is large and the audience can sit comfortably anywhere and see and hear everything.
“I’m going to be playing songs people have been requesting and since this is considered a Christmas concert, I’m going to be doing some traditional Christmas songs, but in my own way.”
“His own way,” I understand, is the spectacular guitar playing for which Grande is known. After the original Woodstock Festival, he was picked up by Richie Havens. He traveled the world for three years, then opened for such music greats as Jose Feliciano, John Lee Hooker, James Taylor and many others. He played huge opera houses in Europe, and did a concert at Carnegie Hall. One of his all-time favorite performances was fronting the Sierra Vista Symphony. At Country Thunder, the audience paid up to $500 per seat to watch the country stars. Grande was the only solo act and received three standing ovations.
  
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Grande benefits have raised enough money to build a dog shelter for Foothills Animal Rescue and his concerts have assisted Habitat for Humanity, the Forgach House, the Arizona Folklore Preserve, Care for the Horses, the Bisbee Boys & Girls Club and many others. After three years of annual concerts, he helped raise enough money to build an entire wing for disabled children at the Simi Valley Hospital.
Grande has long been recognized as one of the top acoustic guitarists in the world, and the Herald’s own music critic, Richard Zoller, has often referred to Grande as “the worlds most exciting guitarist.”
During the Christmas Concert, Grande will be presenting a brand new, original CD entitled “Small Things.” “I think this CD is very special,” he says. “I worked so hard to make sure there are songs on it people will truly enjoy. With virtuoso violinist David Kaemmer and Mike Smith from the Gatlin Brothers playing pedal-steer guitar, I really believe ‘Small Things’ is going to be one of the best CD’s I’ve ever done.”
That’s saying a lot. Grande’s first CD “Hey Friend” charted Indie, Country and Pop, and was Top Ten in 15 different countries. The invitation to play Country Thunder in front of 250,000 people was based on two songs from “Hey Friend.” His second CD, “Especially for You,” is a European release, available here in the U.S. and is on its way to the top. A major record company has already inquired about promoting “Small Things.”
The concert is an excellent way to begin the Christmas season. So, come spend an evening with family and friends at Michael Grande’s Christmas Concert at Our Lady of the Mountains, 1425 Yaqui St. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, and children under 5 are free. For information, call the church at 378-2720.
