The Blues Blogger

Summer Finally Heats Up

I was awakened by the soft clanking of the window blinds in the early morning breeze. Just as I opened my eyes, Lucille, my golden retriever, ran up on the bed and lay down beside me. Placing her head on my chest she began her steadfast stare. Did she really remember last night’s promise of an early morning jaunt? As the sun began to make its presence, I nodded in approval and Lucille jumped off the bed and waited patiently for me by the front door. This was a very methodical mission. There was music to be listened to and a little exercise to be had.

My introduction to Ana Popovic’s music began with her 2007 release Still Making History. I heard some of her tunes from that particular album, but like most things in life the timing didn’t quite happen and I lost track… Just before Christmas of last year I was reminded by a friend about Popovic. The re-familiarization generated a burst of enthusiasm that had me craving for more. As a result, I did some research about her life and read about the tense surroundings in her early years in Belgrade during the Milosevic reign.

Even though Popovic and myself are from very different backgrounds, I found some interesting similarities in how both our families were influenced by their love and appreciation of music; especially the blues. So impressed with her talent, I felt the need to write an article for TheBluesBlogger site… That blog post generated lots of viewers and also some interesting comments and questions. Many of which were addressed in Popovic’s latest release Blind For Love. You can find that piece on Ana by clicking here.

Now I skimmed through Blind For Love several times since receiving it earlier in the week. In my typical fashion, I tend to savor things I think I’m going to enjoy for the right moment. One thing I noticed right off the bat was her songwriting skills had further matured since I listened last. Blind For Love features plenty of great blues, rock, jazz, and funky grooves along with some terrific guitar work put together in a slick concise package.

I was anxious for my outing with Lucille as I felt Popovic’s album may just be one of those summer albums to talk about. And when I hear an album with as much vigor as Blind For Love I find it very hard to keep still, so I turn that energy into a productive workout… I grabbed a quick coffee, got dressed and grabbed Lucille’s leash. Heading out the door, I realized that the timing was perfect. The morning air was cool and comforting, but there was no doubt the day was about to get hotter… I pressed play on my MP3 player and our excursion began.

Now as I have said many times before, when it comes to reviews I’m not going to give a blow by blow account of each and every song and note. If the music moves me, makes me reflect back on a moment, or creates an energy that spurs some creative thought, then I’m happy.

The opening track “Nothing Personal” did indeed start me off on the right track with its infectious pop groove. And the tempo would continue with the heavy hitting second track “Wrong Woman” and the foot tapping soulful “Steal Me Away.” Things slow down for the title track “Blind For Love” and “More Real,” but I’m not complaining about that either, this is a well thought out album…

MUSICIANS:

Ana Popovic: vocals & guitars
Ronald Jonker: bass
Andrew Thomas: drums
Mike Finnigan: keys
Tony Braunagel: drums, percussion, background vocals
Lenny Castro: percussion
Darrell Leonard: trumpet
Joe Sublett: sax
Julie Delgado, Kenna Ramsey, Billy Valentine: background vocals

Halfway Into the Album

Our morning run found us in our neighborhood park. I let Lucille off the leash and watched as she dash around the field with her golden smile. At this point I found myself repeating the next three songs “Putting Out the APB,” “Get Back Home to You” and “The Only Reason.” Extremely catchy songs with a great groove that picked up the pace again… Deciding to make our own way back home, I continued the rest of the album without repeating any more songs. “Part of Me” ( a lullaby written for her baby boy Luuk) and the closer “Blues for M” being the most noteworthy.

Popovic is currently one of Europe’s hottest blues-rock guitarists, and Blind For Love is further proof of a career that continues to blossom. Becoming the first European artist to be nominated for a W.C. Handy Award in Memphis for “Best New Artist Debut” in 2003, she has released a total of six albums with the last two on Eclecto Groove Productions. Popovic continues to mesmerize the audience and has a reputation for being very engaging.

Blind For Love was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Mark Dearnley (AC/DC, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney) and included many of the members of her touring band. Bassist Ron Jonker is a member of her band that in my previous article was questioned by his absence on the last album Still Making History. His presence is going to make not only listeners to Blind For Love very happy, but is going to also delight audiences on the road as the chemistry he has on stage with Popovic is hard to deny.

Later In The Day

With my faithful hound snoring at my feet, it was time to sit down and conclude this post… Obviously I really enjoyed this album. There’s no doubt blues purists may turn away from this release, but that’s always going to happen when you’re breaking new ground. Yes, I’ll admit Ana Popovic is very stunning, but you need to go beyond the looks and explore her talent. Whether you like it or not, she is a serious artist that continues to learn and will carve a path for a new generation of fans to follow. If you’re unfamiliar, then Blind For Love may be a good place to begin… Congratulations to everyone involved on this project, you have a real winner here!

And now its your turn. Are you familiar with her latest album or previous work? Have you seen her live before? Please add your comments below.

Cheers,

TheBluesBlogger

Summer Tour Dates

JULY

07/25 @ Trasimeno Blues Festival, Trasimeno Italy
07/26 @ Baia Domizia Blues Festival, Baia Domizia Italy
07/27 @ Fetes De Genève, Geneva Swiss
07/31 @ Prairie Dog Blues Festival, Prairie Du Chien WI

AUGUST

08/01 @ Mount Baker Blues Festival, Deming WA
08/15 @ Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm BC, Canada
08/16 @ Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm BC, Canada
08/18 @ BB’s Jazz, Blues, and Soups, St. Louis MI
08/19 @ Zoo Bar, Lincoln NE
08/21 @ Famous Dave’s, Minneapolis MN
08/22 @ Seven Clan Casino Blues Festival, Thief River Falls MN
08/30 @ Pordenone Festival, Pordenone (PN) Italy

September 2009

09/10 @TBA, TBA, Serbia
09/12 @Blues IM Herbst, Cloppenburg, Gernmany
09/13 @013, Tilburg, Netherlands
09/26 @Roots ‘n Blues Festival, Columbia, MO USA
09/27 @BB’s, St. Louis, MO USA

Tags: Blues News, Jazz News, New Releases, Reviews by The Blues Blogger
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As many of you are already aware, I grew up listening to a lot of music. My earliest memories are of my father spinning his vast collection of jazz records. It was his appreciation of jazz that introduced me to the music of Duke Ellington and so many other jazz greats… My love of music carried over into my late teens and throughout high school. Most of my friends were musicians and I could always be found hanging out in the music room. Even though I’m not a musician, I still enjoyed the atmosphere in the room as the school band rehearsed for a concert. I found it cool to witness a group of musicians come together and capture a piece of music inspired through the minds of legends like Duke Ellington and others influenced by him…

Chops Just Released

This documentary directed by Bruce Broder made me think of those high school years and also some neat memories of my dad. For all jazz lovers, but especially the younger generation, the movie will be very inspiring indeed!

SYNOPSIS as seen on their official website.

CHOPS tells the story of a group of kids with extraordinary musical ability who learn to make the most of their gifts in an acclaimed public school jazz program in Jacksonville, FL.

From their early, squeaky scales to soaring, improvisational solos, we have a front row seat for their fascinating transformation. We’re with them as they stick together and as they fall apart. And we see up close how the events of their daily lives are expressed in their music. We follow their musical journey from Florida to New York City, where they compete against the top high school jazz bands in the nation at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival.

Win or lose, the Essentially Ellington experience puts them at the threshold of their dream, and reveals the incredible growth they’ve experienced personally and musically

Host Your Own Screening of Chops

The movie has been endorsed and screened by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The screening program opened on June 26th, 2009 and gives jazz related organizations a great fundraising opportunity. It’s a unique screening process by B-Side that allows the host to keep 100% of the proceeds. For more information you can go to their site directly from here. Or you can also go to their Facebook page by clicking here.

Are you familiar with the Essentially Ellington High School jazz competition? The passion and dedication of these young artists is hard to overlook. What do you think? Your comments are welcome below.

TheBluesBlogger

Tags: Jazz, Jazz News, Jazz Reflections by The Blues Blogger
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For the past several weeks I’ve been experiencing writers block. The first time I can say this has happened since I started TheBluesBlogger site. Usually I’m never at a loss for words when it comes to discussing music… So I thought perhaps if I share a little of what’s presently going on, it might help me work through this.

After months of doctor visits and collecting data, my wife and I received the news that our 13 year old son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome… I will not discuss
the details of Asperger’s as we are just beginning to understand ourselves. However, if you’re interested or curious, Tony Attwood’s site is a terrific source of information… The good news is my wife and I are beginning to find some answers to many questions. Now we can move forward with more awareness and structure in hopes of a bright future for our son…

I think we forget how confusing and challenging life tends to be in those teenage years. You face the confrontation of bullies at school, while trying to figure out all the things you have to do to please everyone. And all this while going through hormonal changes you know little about…

Just the other day my son asked the question,

“ Dad, what was going on in your life when you were my age?”

As I pondered this question, I started to drift off… It was always music that was my escape when life was hard to figure out…

During The Early Seventies

when my brother left town, some of his friends adopted me as their kid brother. As a result, my love of music continued to flourish while hanging out with the older crowd. I guess I was cool enough, because they took me everywhere. I never really had friends my own age because my interests were seen as peculiar to a normal 13 year old.

In my early teens, I started accepting the fact that the vibe was different in my household. Times were tough for us financially, and my parents had no other choice but to sell the house. My brother and sister would then move out and start a new chapter in their lives. This was probably my biggest angst at the time. The change in tone in my household was the reason I searched for different styles of music to occupy my imagination. It was just too quiet around the house…

In 1971 my parents and I lived in a small apartment. The scene was set for brand new tensions between my father and me… After my dad’s heart attack in 1969 things changed. It was a far cry from the times I remembered in the sixties… And I recall getting lost in my love of music and my newfound fascination for writing.

My son too would experience a father who suffered a heart attack. But modern medicine and technology would make life a whole lot easier for my family as compared to what we faced back in the sixties. ~tbb

Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy

I remember receiving a new stereo system for my bar mitzvah. Man, I think my father regretted the day he agreed to that purchase. I would spin stuff on that turntable that no one ever heard before. As crazy as it may seem, it was the following two Return to Forever albums that set the tone for my teenage daze…

I recall most of the group I hung out with totally blown away by Return to Forever’s album Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. In 1973, RTF’s music had more of a jazz/rock feel. This album was very melodic, but lacked the traditional jazz sense of their first two albums. It’s an LP that started my awareness of fusion. There were sounds on that record that were completely new to me and to many others. It combined elements of psychedelic rock, jazz, funk and avant-garde jazz… Not something that went over well with my father.

The guitar playing of Bill Connors was a central focus for me. I was speechless as I tried to digest everything that was taking place. Connors would leave shortly after the band’s release of Hymn of The Seventh Galaxy; deciding to focus on a solo career. He didn’t have the same reputation as his successor Al Di Meola, but Connor’s guitar sound and scorching licks remained the talk of the fusion world for years to come.

Where Have I Known You Before

was the band’s fourth album. It marked even more changes to the group’s style and line-up at the time. Corea explored a more synthesized sound and together with Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and the debut of then 19 year old guitarist Al DiMeola, created a rock filled funky jazz masterpiece.

The band continued to echo the sentiments of other well known artists such as John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report; music that also fueled my imagination. The new sounds on these albums would increase the band’s commercial success… Return to Forever helped expand and characterize the fusion genre. They were responsible for adopting many rock fans into the jazz world for the first time…

During Those Teenage Daze

I thought about all the effort that must go into the making a final product like the ones I have mentioned here… And I fantasized how cool it would be to one day work in a recording studio as an engineer…

Return to Forever and its incredibly tight musicianship inspired me. Five years later, I would move and pack many of my albums; these being two LP’s making trip with me to New York City in 1979. The move eventually brought a new set of experiences I never would have dreamed…

When RTF Reunited in the Summer 2008

I was asked by their online promotion team to include a spot on TheBluesBlogger site. It certainly felt like I came full circle from my bizarre teenage influences to the honor of this request. If you’re interested that post can be found by clicking the link located here.
( Return to Forever will be coming out with a new CD called “Returns” on March 2nd,2009; assembled from last year’s tour. And also a live DVD that is to be announced in the near future.)

As I come back to the present times, I want to take the opportunity to tell my son how very proud I am of him. Son, I know it’s not easy, but we are all here for you. Life will toss many curves, but stick to your convictions and be patient. Keep studying and don’t lose your sense of humor. Stay positive and you’ll find your niche… And thanks for being there for me too!

What were you listening to when you were a teenager? How many of you were digging the sounds of Return to Forever in the seventies? Any thoughts musical or otherwise you would like to share? Your comments are most welcome.

With All My Heart,

TheBluesBlogger

Tags: Jazz News, Jazz Reflections, Reflections, The Seventies by The Blues Blogger
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