Trilogy (Ana Popović album)

Trilogy is the seventh solo studio album by the United States-based blues guitarist and singer from Serbia, Ana Popović. It was released on May 20, 2016.

Trilogy
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 20, 2016[1]
GenreDisc 1 - Funk, soul, R&B
Disc 2 - Blues rock
Disc 3 - Jazz[2][3][4]
Length1:33:55
LabelArtisteXclusive records[5]
ProducerWarren Riker, Ana Popović, Tom Hambridge, Cody Dickinson, Delfeayo Marsalis
Ana Popović chronology
Blue Room
(2015)
Trilogy
(2016)
Like It on Top
(2018)

Development edit

Popović wrote or co-wrote the majority of the songs on the triple album, fifteen of the twenty-three songs. She enlisted the help of many top industry guest artists, such as guitarist Joe Bonamassa, lap steel guitarist Robert Randolph, rapper Al Kapone, and drummers Bernard Purdie and North Mississippi Allstars's Cody Dickinson.[2] She also got some impressive support behind the scenes, with Tom Hambridge and Delfeayo Marsalis among others producing songs for the album.[6] When interviewed by Guitar World, Popović explained that she has always had a mix of styles on her albums, blues, jazz and funk. Some fans told her how they separated out the styles, making compositions of one style or the other, which intrigued Popović. Then in 2015 she had an incident on tour where the band's touring van was stolen with all the gear in it, and it was only with the support of her fans that they continued the tour. Popović was grateful, and wanted to give something back, so she conceived of the idea of doing a triple album divided into her various styles, so some could buy just the style they liked. She envisioned the project with different producers, different bands, and different recording studios.[7]

The album is divided into three discs, with three different styles.[8] Disc One – Morning is her soul, funk and R&B album, produced by Grammy-winning Warren Riker and Popović, and recorded at Esplanade Studios, New Orleans in Louisiana, Royal Studios and Music+Arts Studio, Memphis and The Switchyard, Nashville in Tennessee, and Full Sail Studio, Orlandoin Florida.[9][3][2] Besides Popović's strong guitar work, Morning uses plenty of horns and piano, and features Joe Bonamassa as a guest guitarist on "Train", ending the song with a smoking outro.[10][3]

Disc Two – Mid-Day contains the blues rock that is more typical of Popović. The songs were recorded and produced by several people at different locations.[10] It was recorded by Warren Riker at Esplanade Studios, New Orleans in Louisiana, by Tom Hambridge at The Switchyard, Nashville in Tennessee, and by Cody Dickinson at the Zebra Ranch near Memphis in Mississippi.[9][10] Popović includes a dueling guitar song "Woman to Love", where she dueled with herself via the magic of double-tracking.[10] The disc contains a soulful duet with Alphonzo Bailey, better known as rapper Al Kapone.[11]

Finally Disc Three – Midnight explores Popović jazz tendencies. This disc has more cover songs than any of the others, as she covers a Tom Waits song, a Duke Ellington number, and also a Billie Holiday tune.[10] The jazz disc was recorded at Esplanade Studios, New Orleans in Louisiana by Delfeayo Marsalis, and uses a variety of saxophones, acoustic bass, and drums, with Kyle Roussell on piano.[9] Popović tried out a new guitar for Midnight, using a Gibson ES-175 for the jazz numbers instead of her usual Strat which she uses for rock and blues.[7] She also adapted her voice to jazz, leaving the growling and shouting for the first two discs and shifting to crooning, giving off a smokey late night vibe.[2]

Track listing edit

  • Total length: 1:33:55[1]

Disc One – Morning edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love You Tonight"Ana Popović[9]4:04
2."She Was a Doorman"A. Popović, Shannon Sanders4:03
3."Show You How Strong You Are"A. Popović, Tommy L. Sims3:23
4."Fencewalk"Carlos Wilson, Louis Wilson, Ric Wilson, Skip Scarborough4:21
5."Train" (featuring Joe Bonamassa)A. Popović4:57
6."If Tomorrow Was Today"A. Popović5:15
7."Long Road Down"A. Popović4:32
8."Hook Me Up" (featuring Robert Randolph)Johnny "Guitar" Watson4:37
9."Too Late"A. Popović5:26
Total length:40:38

Disc Two – Mid-Day edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Got the Love"Chaka Khan, Ray Parker Jr.5:28
2."Johnnie Ray"A. Popović, Kevin Bowe3:46
3."Woman to Love"A. Popović3:19
4."Let's Do It Again" (featuring Al Kapone & Cody Dickinson)Curtis Mayfield3:51
5."Who's Yo' Mama?"A. Popović3:18
6."Wasted"A. Popović, M. van Meurs2:18
7."Crying for Me"A. Popović3:09
Total length:25:09

Disc Three – Midnight edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."New Coat of Paint"Tom Waits3:27
2."Waiting on You"A. Popović4:32
3."In a Sentimental Mood"Duke Ellington, Manny Kurtz3:39
4."Old Country"Curtis Reginald Lewis, Nat Adderley3:46
5."Waiting on You (Double-Time Swing)"A. Popović3:59
6."Heaven's Crying aka Song for the Next Generation"A. Popović, M. van Meurs, K. Bowe, Cindy Scott4:00
7."You Don't Know What Love Is"Don Raye, Gene de Paul4:45
Total length:28:08

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Trilogy - Ana Popovic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Hynes, Jim (May 20, 2016). "Ana Popovic - Trilogy". Elmore Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Ana Popovic - Trilogy". Downbeat. May 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  4. ^ Swenson, John (September 26, 2016). "Ana Popovic, Trilogy (ArtisteXclusive Records)". Offbeat Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  5. ^ "Trilogy - Ana Popovic | Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Kahn, Andy (March 10, 2016). "Ana Popovic Announces Guest-Filled New Album 'Trilogy'". JamBase. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Wood, James (March 14, 2016). "Ana Popovic Previews Her New Three-Album Project and the Experience Hendrix Tour". Guitar World. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  8. ^ Crowley, Steve (June 3, 2016). "Ana Popovic Scores a Hat Trick with "Trilogy"". American Blues Scene. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trilogy (CD liner). Ana Popović. United States: ArtisteXclusive records. 2016. AErec 005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, John (December 30, 2016). "Ana Popovic - Trilogy | Album Review". BluesBlast Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  11. ^ Schinkel, Gerrit (14 June 2016). "Ana Popovic - Trilogy". Blues Magazine (in Dutch). Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Trilogy - Ana Popovic | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2017.