In this series we look back into the year 2013 by reviewing an album from this year every other week.
Before she released this one-hour longplayer of Blues, Jazz, Funk, and Soul, Ana Popović (or Ана Поповић) has already published one album with her band Hush and five solo albums. After record deals with Ruf Records and Eclecto Groove Records, „Can you stand the Heat“ was the first Ana Popović release on ArtisteXlusive Records. On May 5, 2023, her ninth studio album will also be released there.
By the time, „Can you stand the Heat“ was recorded, Ana Popović has left Dutch capital Amsterdam and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. The Serbian- (or Yugoslavia-)born artist previously opened for B.B. King and was afraid that the good old Blues sound in its groovy form might be an endangered species in the tough reality of contemporary music. Thus, „Can you stand the Heat“ is coined by some legit oldschool catfish sound. Ana Popović and her guests provide the audience with 58 minutes of honest, funky, groovy and soulful Blues in the vein of the big Alberts (King and Collins).
On fourteen tracks, Ana Popović lets the Mississippi Delta appear more alive than before. With her powerful voice and virtuous guitar play, she enchants each of the 58 minutes on this strong album. Ana Popović‚ „Can you stand the Heat“ is pure high-class entertainment and without doubt one of the greatest Blues albums – not only of the 2010s.
Ana Popović – vocals, lead guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar
John Williams – bass
Frank Ray, Jr. – keys
Harold Smith – rhythm guitar
Tony Coleman – drums
Tauris Turner – drums
Marc Franklin – trumpet
Kirk Smothers – saxophone
Lucky Peterson – vocals, guitar, organ
Tommy Sims – bass, vocals
Felix Hernandez – percussion
Javier Solis – drums, percussion
Jerard & Jovaun Woods, Frank Ray Jr., Stephanie Bolton, Sharisse Norman, Sherry & John Williams – background vocals
Children choir (Jovanni Ramirez, Jerard Woods II, Justin Woods, Sarah-Clayton McBrayer, EmmyLayne Myers, Noelle Jamison, Nori Jamison)
„Can you stand the Heat“ was recorded at Ardent Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennesse in April and October 2012, and at Lyricanvas Studios in Nashville, Tennessee in January 2013.
Production: Ana Popović, Tony Coleman, Tommy Sims
Engineering and Mixing at Ardent Recording Studio: Pete Matthews
Engineering and Mixing at Lyricanvas Studios: James Waddell
Mastering: Brad Blackwood
Next up in this series: The Black Angels – Indigo Meadow
