Ana Popovic Band
" An Evening At Trasimeno Lake: Live From The Heart of Italy DVD MVD "
Artist Exclusive

Blueswax 6

The very youthful thirty-four-year-old Ana Popovic from Belgrade started playing guitar at fifteen and recorded her first disc, Hush, for Ruf Records in Memphis. Popovic has released a total of five CDs, three for Ruf, and more recently two on Eclecto Groove. This is Popovic's second DVD that follows a half decade after her 2005 video Ana! This current DVD was recorded in Italy within the walls of the thirteenth century Rocca Medievale castle, which makes for an unusual but gorgeous backdrop. Though the onstage performance does not show off the surroundings, there are several clips, including bonus tracks, that display Popovic wandering and playing solo acoustic guitar in this gorgeous setting.

If blues rock is your thing, you will dig this video as Popovic and her band rock quite hard on most of the tunes. Standout rockers include "Is This Everything There Is," the catchy "Nothing Personal," "Love Fever," and the closing "Hold On." For several of these tracks, Popovic employs a two-piece horn section and a female background vocalist who add a lot of color and flavor to those specific performances.

I must add that I particularly enjoyed Popovic's softer side when she's playing an amplified acoustic guitar. These two jazzy tracks, "Doubt Everyone But Me" and "Blind For Love," are two-thirds of the way into the performance. I enjoyed these two tracks that have a much more intimate feel for Ana's music where she shows that she's far more than a blues rocker.

Popovic plays un-amplified solo acoustic on the bonus tracks repeating "Blind For Love," plus "Steal Me Away," but these are not as slick as the full-band performances and show Ana in a more gritty and bluesy mode. I should also mention that these bonus tracks are recorded in full daylight and also show off the magnificent thirteenth-century castle in full regalia. Last, but not least, is a bonus track interview with Ana. I wasn't taken by the interviewer and don't feel the interview adds much insight to Ana's makeup as a person and/or artist.

Offered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and PCM stereo, the sound quality is mighty strong and clear throughout, but the video was often discolored by the house lights, an issue that I found somewhat annoying.

So, Ana Popovic fans will certainly enjoy this updated take on her work. Those not that familiar might also be swayed because this lady seemingly shows that there's some future potential, especially on those softer and expressive jazzy tunes. Enjoy

Bob Putignano a senior contributing editor at BluesWax. He is also the heart of Sounds of Blues at www.SoundsofBlue.com. Bob maybe contacted at: bob8003@yahoo.com

Bob Putignano: www.SoundsofBlue.com