Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Ljubljana / CUK Kino Šiška / Slovenia
Concert date: June 5, 2015
Attendance: 600
Ticket price: €18.00 (presale) / €20.00 (day of show)
With her latest tour of Slovenian stages, Ana Popović has finally played the heart of the Slovenian capital too. For the willowy queen of the blues, this is her fifth visit to Slovenia in total: she’d already played Postojna twice, then Laško at the Pivo in cvetje festival, and Nova Gorica last year. And that’s not all! This year she’ll be back in Slovenia for a sixth time, as part of Maribor’s Lent festival.
Ana is a highly respected musician in blues circles worldwide, a multiple nominee and winner of the most prestigious awards for her contributions to blues music. This year she released a joint studio album with her father Milutin Popovič, titled »Blue Room«. The album came out two weeks before Ana’s Ljubljana show.
Some twenty minutes past eight, the young Slovenian blues rock hopefuls Prismojeni profesorji bluesa jumped onstage. They couldn’t have picked a better moment. The turnout was a dream for them, even though most of the crowd (funny but true) was sitting on the steps in the hall. It was a lot bigger than on January 30, 2015, when the band played the same venue as part of the »Za kombi« charity festival. Prismojeni profesorji bluersa are a sought-after club act. They put on fantastic shows, and anyone who comes into contact with them gets hooked in no time. The quartet remains as punchy as can be. Their original blend of old-school heavy rock blues, where the Erič brothers trade guitar and harmonica solos like it’s nothing, backed by a rock-solid, furious rhythm section, got an extra boost this time from a guest saxophonist. Sax always brings sex appeal to the music. Three singers swap places across the songs, but it’s the drummer, with his almost soul-singer timbre, who impresses most. In a wild surge of adrenaline-fueled haste and testosterone overflow, he knocked the drum kit over onto the floor at the end of the set and brought the young stallions’ show to its climax. This is a band on the rise, and they prove it gig after gig. A great opening pick and a superbly used chance handed to the boys. A big crowd saw them and remembered them well.
Unlike the crazed boys, Ana Popović is a lady. And she arrived onstage in style: high heels, a skin-tight mini dress with a plunging neckline, and jewelry, of course, goes without saying. Ana, who’s naturally one of the taller girls, looked almost two meters tall onstage in her heels. The band opened the show with a flirty »shuffle« rhythmic charge (Ana’s Shuffle), and Ana mostly presented songs from the album »Can You Stand the Heat« (2013), also playing Somebody from the latest, »Blue Room« (2015). Among others, the walls of CUK Kino Šiška that evening also rang with Object of Obsession, Let Me Love You Baby, How’d You Learn To Shake it Like That, Unconditional, Count Me In, Summer Rain, Your Love Ain’t Real, plus covers of Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me (Albert King), Every Kind of People (Robert Palmer), Navajo Moon (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Rain Fall Down (The Rolling Stones) and Can You See Me (Jimi Hendrix).
Ana is a master of economical playing. She doesn’t squander notes, but with a refined feel makes sure they’re placed just right. Her solos are beautifully shaped and hold plenty of musical appeal, while in individual passages the girl proves why she’s one of the sharpest and most respected blues guitarists in the world. She’s got that real »grip« that sweeps you away. Her original, funk-based Object of Obsession sounded lovely, with the rhythm section standing out in filigree precision and showing off its »smooth« virtues in the pairing of Carlton Armstrong (who also handled backing vocals) and French drummer Stephane Avellaneda. Italian keyboardist Michele Papadia also got plenty of room to season the intros and outros, and to weave some real tapestry with the guitar phrases.
Devilish blues! No two ways about it. Under Ana’s feather-light direction. Through it all, her guitar playing naturally takes the dominant stance over her vocal delivery. That doesn’t mean Ana isn’t authoritative as a singer, but you shouldn’t expect or demand Mahalia Jackson or Aretha Franklin-style vocals from her. Ana gets it all done with exceptional guitar playing. She’s incredibly accurate and precise, yet vivid and passionate. A girl with real Slavic fire whenever she fervently handles her Fender Stratocaster toy! This time was no different. Another great experience. Anyone who missed her in Ljubljana gets a shot at a retake. They just have to make the trip to this year’s Lent festival in Maribor.
Photo Gallery
