Jazz Fun - Magazin für Jazz Musik has a warm welcome for Patan's album "Spice, Gold and Tales Untold"!
"[...] a shiver runs down your spine when listening to this CD. The sparse arrangement and the unpretentious singing of Ana Patan, the simplicity and authenticity of the artistic expression contribute to the unique atmosphere of this... "
"Jazz? Yes. Funk? Yes. Rock? Pop? Yes, that as well. All named genres, often at the same time, in and out of each other. A diluted heavy metal? Yes, maybe that also. She is equally good at it all: guitar playing, singing, composing. Which is actually not that usual, for example that a skilled, yes, virtuosic guitaristwoulwrite such good, direct and accesible..."
Netherlands magazine De Bassist just published a great account of Ana Patan's new album, gracing all the work that went into, and all the amazing bass players on "Spice Gold and Tales Untold"! "The result is a delicious organic record with beautiful thoughtful lyrics, with fine guitar solos and parts, and we hear hints of pop, rock, jazz, westcoast pop and here and there a bit of Joni...
"The record was ten years in the making, as Patan wrote over 100 songs in that span before narrowing the track list down to 10. In keeping with the authentic analog sound she was envisioning, she tracked everything onto tape reels and edited the mixes down using razor blades, a la production pre-1980's era. To handle the low end on the..."
"Ana plays the guitar and is doing all the vocals. On drums we hear Zoltan Csörsz and on bass three of world’s best: Jonas Hellberg, Jonathan Herrera and last but not least Devin Townsend. I’ve been listening to the album several times now and yes, I love it. It has parts of pop, jazz and rock and with the great lyrics it’s more than just music. It’s the story of..."
“There’s so much to do on the guitar, I’m surprised of any guitarist practicing to sound like another guitarist, when there are so many unexplored options. In fact, that’s why I was forced to pick up the guitar myself, in lack of a supporting, sensitive guitar player who wouldn’t play millions of notes a minute to show off his technical skills.”
Anil Prasad reviewed for Innerviews "an excellent new album [...] titled 'Spice, Gold and Tales Untold.' It’s a live analog recording that captures deep groove interplay from a very serious band. [...] Her pieces feature intelligent lyrics focused on the current, unfolding human condition, both micro and macro. Patan’s vocals are deep, soulful and kinetically intertwine with the songs’ very creative arrangements. It’s superb stuff"
“It is a compositional tour de force in the field of jazz-rock, with thoughtful lyrics, celebrating the sprightliness of life. Although surrounded by high-calibre musicians like Zoltan Csörsz (Flower Kings) - drums, Jonas Hellborg (Ginger Baker, John McLaughlin etc.) - bass, plus the famed Devin Townsend (who’s playing…bass on the song... ”
"The album is a superb mix of musical styles with basic, soulful music embellished by hints of the orient and a touch of Eastern European promise on many of the impressive songs. The bare yet intricate music is complemented superbly by Ana’s earnest vocals, sometimes fragile and at other times loud and proud...
"Ana is one of those ‘heart on their sleeve’ artists, her lyrics are personal, yet relatable, her sound is a little jazzy, a little funky. It contains elements of rock, even prog to some degree. Most of all it contains soul. You can just feel her smile, laughter and sometimes heartache filter through as Ana reveals her deepest emotions..."
It's wonderful to escape the limitations of tags, compartments and styles, and simply enjoy music for what it is, and help it where it wants to go! That says much about Luca Piotto, the writer of this review for Metalhead Italy! "Musica alla quale non interessa appartenere ad un genere, musica che vuole essere suonata, che vuole suonare, impressionare, ...
"Spice, Gold, and Tales Untold is an eclectic exploration of life and love, abounding with witty insights and philosophical musings. [...] Her vocals are emotive and pure, and her guitar playing is both direct and full of flourishes and clever melodic lines. [...] Though there is definitely a jazzy streak throughout, Ana shows that she can’t be pigeonholed...
"The album opens with jazzy guitar chords wafting in on an easterly wind. Electric bass and rimshot drumming add a gentle groove. We could be wandering through a Turkish bazaar. Almost immediately a voice breaks in. It is not the call of a merchant selling fruit to the locals or trashy trinkets to the tourists, it’s a documentary-maker describing an enigmatic ...
More and more, the Romanian press is starting to show an interest in Ana's activity - after all, that is where she started off as an artist more than twenty years ago! "It was the year when she won the first prize. Clear voice, a strong character in her vocal and guitar chords, no tricks involved. She was sounding just as she was, that is, authentic."
Ana had the privilege of discussing with Linda Garett from Indie Music Women what it means to be an independent female musician in nowadays reality, on the occasion of being featured as their Artist of the Day. There is much to be discussed on the subject of the artists' independence in such times when the music...
A long and in-depth dialogue with Harrie de Haas for Ons Nieuws Music about the analog studio where Ana's upcoming album was recorded, the challenges of a self-producer, her opinion of her audience, love for chocolate, adventures from the past and perfect obedience to the advice of chief-assistant Foxy Fluffcore.
Ana Patan's concert at the Forum for Contemporary Art in Tübingen got a praising review in Tagblatt. "Trivialize Love" [...] A parade piece to bring the range of her voice even more in the foreground. Her vocal leaps seem effortles. At the same time Ana Patan is in full control of her guitaristic craft. [...] A diversified concert of an interesting artist."
Skillfully guided by Craig E. Bacon for Music Tap, the interview is touching on the different dimensions of Ana's analog recording experience, from the creation process to the actual performance, first-hand insights and studio interaction with music personalities such as Jonas Hellborg, Devin Townsend or Zoltan...
"I am still on my way to music, and will hopefully always be" is the undertitle of this article (in German) of a concert review and a discussion after the concert with the team from Musik Muss Mit. The interview part contains an entertaining story about Ana's musical beginnings, as well as the notable live photography of Corinna Sauer.
German magazine for culture and society online Doktor Peng is featuring Ana with an interview and a live video excerpt from one of her performances during a Wohnzimmer tour of the country, that is, a series of living room concerts played together with bassist Omeye Abbass, in which they experience the...
"[...] Getting rid of misconceptions, ignorance and even tendency to control things that are bound to be bigger than you"
Pete Devine from Pete's Rock News and Views picks Ana's brain on the long process of developing her music, favourite songs to sing in the shower, the lost art of...
Foc de PAE, a two hours long Romanian show hosted by music journalism authority Andrei Partos, had Ana Patan as a guest this April 15th. The jovial chat, broadcasted live online for more than 6000 viewers and uploaded afterwards as the following Youtube video, had an interactive audience and touched on...
Five out of five points (actually, even better, beards!) "To note Ana’s guitar chops, delivering a cool little lead part during the instrumental break, with great effect and a tone and taste that is reminiscent of people like Mike Stern or John Scofield. Quite unusual and refreshing when most guitarists prefer to show off riding …
"The record focuses on themes of awareness, human nature and enjoying the present moment, from a surprising point of view and with a witty twist in the tail..." Ana's music is slowly spreading over the territory of the ex-Yugoslavian countries through the music magasine, website and radio post spellt Barikada, which has been...
The quite insightful and dexteruous pen of Craig Bacon described the new release "Soarele Meu" for the readers of Music Tap in the brightest of colors: "Ana Patan [...] leans deep into the pocket of a tight jazz combo for a mood that’s, well…sunny." "Come for the lithe shuffle and slight swing, stay for the melodic guitar solo."
An article in the official magazine of the Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania which attributes me "with the most spectacular rise of all Romanian pop-rock musicians in the last years. Laudative cronicles, votes from music lovers and journalists all over Europe. I'd call her a self-made woman. She sings and plays the electric guitar, solo or in various..."