Maybe it’s because I was a total reject as a nerd in High School, but I have an inherent distrust of drop dead attractive women. Years of adolescent rejection mixed? Not sure, but when I see a lady like Ana Popovic on her album covers I get suspicious of her talents. If you’re like that as well, let this 3 disc set settle your spirit, as her talents outlast her looks, and that’s saying something.
The 3 discs are divided into as many moods; “Morning” for Memphis styled funk and soul, “Mid-Day” for rocking blues and “Midnight” to show off her jazz sensibilities. All three stand up strongly on their own, and I was looking for reasons to criticize her. There’s nothing to not like-she even writes most of the stuff!
The Morning session has her singing and playing regular and slide guitar with a swampy horn section and back snapping rhythm team. Joe Bonamassa sits in with his strings for a bluesy “Train” and Robert Randolph’s lap steel graces “Hook Me Up,” but she’s strong on the 6 strings on her own during the greasy “If Tomorrow Was Today” and her voice sears through the low-ceiling horns on “Love You Tonight.” Pass the dry rub ribs!
Mid-Day has her with a stripped down power team of drums, guitars and keyboards. The team sounds stark as Popvic wails on strings and voice on “Johnnie Ray” and spotlights her formidable chops as she boogies down double time on the instrumental “”Who’s Yo Mama?”. She can growl with a clear voice on the gritty “Crying For Me” while with Al Kapone’s voice and Cody Dickinson’s drums and keyboards, she gets soulfully strutting on “Let’s Do It Again.” Fist pumping tunes.
Midnight has her still playing guitar, but she’s really showing her vocal strength with a hip jazz team of Kyle Roussell/p, David Pulphus-Barry Stephenson/b and Herlin Riley-Bernard Purdie/dr. Her voice is flexible, and yet with perfect timing and pitch on Tom Waits’ “New Coat of Paint” with Roderick Paulin’s tenor sax,” while the rhythm team bops with Delfeayo Marsalis’ trombone on “Waiting For You.” A second read of the latter is done in double time, and it swings like mad, while her evocative voice and gentle guitar on “In A Sentimental Mood” is an absolute delight. She sounds completely at home in the late night jazz mood on “You Don’t Know What Is” which points to a whole new direction for this lady. She’s won me over-I just need to put a bag over my head to appreciate the musicality if I’m bringing my wife to a gig.
ArtisteXclusive Records