Ana Popovic

Dance To The Rhythm

Electric Heel Records

Ana Popovic was born in 1976 in Belgrade, Serbia. Her father, Milton, introduced her to the blues, and she started playing guitar at the age of fifteen. In 1995, she formed the band Hush, which performed R&B, funk, and soul. Hush performed over 100 shows in 1998, appearing in Greece and at the Fifth International Blues, Jazz Rock, and Gastronomic Festival in Hungary. In late 1998, Hush disbanded, and Ana went to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar.

In 1999, Ana formed the Ana Popovic Band and appeared on the Jimi Hendrix tribute compilation album Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix with a cover of “Belly Button Window.” In 2001, Ana released her first solo album Hush on Ruf Records, produced by Jim Gaines. Follow-up albums included 2003’s Comfort to the Soul, recorded in Memphis, which earned her a “Best New Artist” nomination at the Handy Awards (Blues Music Awards); 2007’s Still Making History on Eclecto Groove; 2009’s Blind for Love; 2011’s Unconditional; and 2012’s Can You Stand the Heat, which resulted in three more BMA nominations.

In 2015, Ana recorded Blue Room with her father Milton, featuring both originals and covers of songs by Jimmy Reed, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, John Lennon, and Van Morrison. Her 2018 release Like It on Top was produced by Keb’ Mo’. In 2023, after surviving breast cancer, Ana released Power, her first studio album in five years. Overall, she has received eight Blues Music Award nominations. She now resides in a suburb of Los Angeles, California.

On Dance to the Rhythm, Ana plays guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, and sings all lead vocals. Co-producer Buthel plays bass and sings backing vocals. Additional background vocals come from Colonia Calhoun Burns, Traci Nelson, Sklar Gordon, J Sabin, and Jordana Kelly. Keyboard players include Michele Papadia and Jeremy Thomas, while drummers include Chris Coleman and Donnel Spencer. The horn section features Claudio Giovagnoli (sax, horn arrangements), Davide Ghidoni (trumpet), Jordan Carr (trumpet, horn arrangements), Evan Knight (sax), and Brett Lamel (trombone). Additional percussionists include Karl Vandenbosche and Frank Moca.

Dance to the Rhythm is not a traditional blues album but shows another side of this brilliant entertainer. Opening with the title track, Ana sings, “Get up out of your seat, clap your hands, stomp your feet, let’s get one with the beat, dance to the rhythm, I like to get in the moment, can’t you see, you really ought to party with me, c’mon now the time is here, this is what you came here for. Dance to the rhythm, aha, aha, dance to the rhythm with me.”

On “Worked Up,” Ana chants, “Watch it, chill it, you watch it, watch it, chill it, you watch it, you woke up, wrong side of the bed, is it what I’ve done, or what you thought that I said, it’s an illusion, off an attack, yeah, like there’s a fake vendetta on your back, well you get so worked up, hot under the collar, burning up, like a pocket full of silver dollars, you need to cool down…”

On Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” Ana chimes, “‘The problem is all inside your head,’ she said to me, the answer is easy if you take it logically, I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free, there must be fifty ways to leave your lover… you just slip out the back, Jack; make a new plan, Stan; you don’t need to be coy, Roy; just get yourself free; hop on the bus, Gus; you don’t need to discuss much; just drop off the key, Lee; and get yourself free.”

On “California Chase,” Ana cries out, “Bright lights, big city, everyone come near and far, it’s rough but it’s pretty when you’re living in the land of stars, but there’s diamonds in the dirt with your name on, and a thousand more sayin’ that they want it, if you’re gonna claim it better put your game on it, if you really want it, do you really want it? California chase, California, California chase, soul’s in the case, don’t lose your way, California chase, it’s sink or swim when that wave comes in, can you keep up with the pace, rent’s high in the land of lies, but they never tell it to your face…”

On “Hurt So Good,” Ana belts, “Well I guess you thought that I’d be that sideline kind of girl, who would never interrupt things in your perfect little world. It’s a shame the way you hurt me, cause this love is give and take, so you thought you could desert me, thought you could just walk away…”

On “Sho Nuff,” Ana bursts, “Raise up your glasses, let’s move the masses, line ‘em up the dominoes, get down to this and check it off your list, hurry up before you’re too old, never mind that quib, just handle your bizz, but you know you’re sold like gold, hold on tight and never let go, here we go, here we go.”

“Dwell on the Feeling” features Ana as she moans, “This love that I have for you is right where I want to be, I’m not trapped, I’m not subdued, and I’m not just passing through, I wanna dwell on the feeling, that’s all I wanna do, I wanna dwell on the feeling of you.”

On “Soulution,” Ana groans, “Born to be stars… stop chasing vanity, that’s not who you are, not a bunch of diamond-chasing names of your cars, they sell you dreams but still you don’t make it far, I’m here to tell you we were born to be stars, you act like you lack common sense, who you trying to cheat, they trying to sell you grass when it’s right under your feet… don’t let it, don’t let it taint your pure heart (is that, is that solution?).”

On “Hottest Ticket in Town,” Ana shouts, “Back in the day we were growing up beating on pots and pans, making noise in the house, disturbing the peace, like we’re jamming in front of our fans, running dress rehearsal for a fantasy gig, sneaking momma’s shoes and wigs, now time goes by, cannot deny, I was born for this, we’ve got the reputation, baddest band in town… it’s the hottest ticket in town.”

On “Sisters and Brothers,” Ana croons, “There’s better days, there’s brighter ways, the best is yet to come, let’s find the way to turn the page, we’ll celebrate these moments together, together… let’s love each other through the pain, sisters and brothers, there’s no shame, there’s no shame, we’re gonna make a better day.”

On Dance to the Rhythm, we get to see inside of Ana, as her songwriting reveals a lot about her. She is not only a strong woman but also one whose insight shows a deep belief in chasing her dreams. I, for one, have enjoyed watching her growth as an artist, and there are lessons to be learned by watching.

Richard Ludmerer