by 
ANA POPOVIC
February 4-5, 2014
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
2033 6th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98121
The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley welcomes the debut of sizzling blues guitarist and vocalist Ana Popovic. Band members joining Ms. Popovic are Steve Malinowski (keys), Tony Coleman (drums and background vocals) and John Williams (bass and background vocals). Set times Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30pm. Doors open at 5:30pm.
Can You Stand The Heat (2013) is Ana’s ninth full-length album. With ‘Heat,’ the blues guitar sensation brings a daring album full of ‘Old School’ funk and bluesy grooves, in the vein of Albert King, Albert Collins and WAR. The album spent ten weeks in the Billboard Blues Charts, top ranking at #3. It was USA Today’s Pick-Of-The-Week and featured on National Public Radio. In 2013, Ana played over 130 shows in the US, Canada, every country of Europe, and even Japan. She jammed with Buddy Guy and Warren Haynes, and she was featured on the covers of Vintage Guitar magazine, GuitarPlayer’s Gear Guide and American Blues Scene.
Popović was born in 1976 in Belgrade. Her father introduced her to the blues, and she started to play the guitar when she was fifteen. In 1995, she formed the band Hush with Rade Popović (guitar, vocals), Milan Sarić (bass guitar) and Bojan Ivković (drums). Hush performed rhythm and blues, but also incorporated elements of funk and soul into their sound. During 1996, Hush performed across FR Yugoslavia, also performing in Greece. Thanks to their performance at the Marsoni Blues Festival in Senta, Hush got the invitation to perform at the Fifth International Blues, Jazz, Rock and Gastronomic Festival in Hungary. A part of their performance was released on a live album which featured recordings from the festival.
During 1998, Hush had over 100 performances, playing in blues clubs and blues festivals. During the same year, they released their debut album, Hometown. Beside the band’s own songs, Hometown also featured covers of blues standards. In 1998, Popović went to Netherlands to study jazz guitar, and Hush disbanded.
In 1999, Popović formed Ana Popović Band in Amsterdam. In 2000, she appeared alongside Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles, Double Trouble, Eric Gales and others on the Jimi Hendrix tribute album Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix. In 2001, she released her solo debut, Hush!, through the German label Ruf Records. The album was recorded in Memphis, with the members of Ana Popović Band, as well as studio musicians. It was produced by Jim Gaines, who previously worked with Carlos Santana, John Lee Hooker, Alexis Korner and others. The album featured Bernard Allison as guest. The album saw large success, so Popović left her guitar studies, and dedicated herself to performing. In 2003, Popović released her second album, Comfort to the Soul. The album, recorded in Memphis and produced by Gaines, featured a fusion of blues, rock, soul and jazz. During the same year, on the Rhythm & Blues Festival in Belgium, she was invited by Solomon Burke to join him on stage, after which she joined him on the rest of the tour as a guest. Two of her recent albums, Still Making History (2007) and Unconditional (2011), reached number one on the United States Billboard Blues Chart. www.anapopovic.com
