Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with IMAAI.
Tell us about your music.
“A little Torch and a lot of Soul” is one review of my singing. At the heart of my music, I’m a blues singer, but I draw from many different musical influences – Blues (of course), Rock, Soul and I love the chord structures in Jazz and old Country. American roots music is at the core of my songwriting and vocal style. In my performances, I sing from a place of deep emotion. My songwriting speaks to being a woman in this complex world and about the experiences that have shaped my relationship to myself and to the people in my life.
When did you start performing?
I was in my early 20’s when I began performing as a solo artist. I fell in love with music when I was 4 and started singing in the church choir. Throughout school I studied flute, oboe and piano then finally learned guitar in college and starting songwriting. I was a ballerina until 6 then became a competitive gymnast until I was 11 which gave me early experiences of “performing” for an audience, but it took me years to overcome my fear of singing in front of people. My first shows were a terrifying experience for me, but I had this deep passion (compulsion really) to perform.
One of my first bands performed classic rock covers and quite a few of my rock originals. This experience thrust me center stage as lead vocalist and really helped me face my vulnerability of singing on stage.
Later, I joined an 11-piece tribute band with 4 female vocalists, horn section and several costume changes throughout the shows. That experience gave me experience on larger stages before bigger audiences and really taught me how to be an entertainer.
During the Summer of 2021, I was about to release my new album. I had a full schedule of outdoor performances as the West Coast was consumed by blistering heat, intense wildfires and smoke. The hazardous smoke conditions ended up impacting my health and I developed vocal polyps. I was forced to cancel all upcoming shows, quit my bands and delay my album release. It was devastating. I spent most of 2022 rarely singing and focused on working with my specialists to heal my voice.
Now, as the Summer of 2023 approaches, my vocal cords are about 95% healed. I’m back to singing, and finally releasing songs from my album – Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do!
I have my new band – Jen Ambrose & The Mystics. We just had our first shows including being the pre-band show before Ringo Starr and His All Star Band. It’s exciting to be singing again and performing the songs from my new album!
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
My hometown, Elmira, is in upstate New York, amidst rolling hills of Maple trees and the Finger Lakes region. It’s where I learned music – singing, flute, oboe, piano. I was an extremely shy kid, but music was a sanctuary for me and my family encouraged my passion.
Growing up, my younger sister and I were exposed to a strong undercurrent of emotional intensity. As early as I can remember, my Mom struggled with mental health issues and my Dad worked long hours building his business. These strains fed our parents’ many fights and their marriage finally ended when I was still in high school. Music was a way I coped with the stresses of growing up, but since a young age, I had the feeling that I needed to leave home in order to make my own way in the world and to become my authentic self.
The history of Elmira also left a strong impression on me. I started singing in the church choir when I was 4 at this beautiful old church called the Park Church. It has a massive pipe organ overlooking the sanctuary. It’s where Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was married and it was a key junction in the Underground Railroad. Sometimes, during Sunday school, they would take us down to those tunnels beneath the church to talk about the struggles of the people fleeing slavery.
When I reflect on Elmira, I think about chilly Autumn evenings when the Maple leaves paint the hills red and the winds whisper of the struggles of old Spirits. I’m reminded of all the yearnings of my younger self, and the desires for something deeper and just out of my reach. This place is not just where I learned music, it’s where music first soothed my soul and it lies at the heart of just about every song I write
What performers have been your inspiration?
As a teenager, I started listening to old Led Zeppelin albums. Robert Plant’s vocals were a major influence on my early singing. His unabashed and provocative vocal expression blew me away. Then I started listening to more classic rock – Hendrix, Stones, Janice Joplin – and realized these artists were influenced by much older and deeper roots of music. Peeling back those layers I learned about old Blues, Jazz and Country – the roots of American music.
There are three female vocalists who especially inspire my singing.
I’m enthralled with Billie Holliday. Her vocal intimacy and honesty are etherial to me. Her voice is so rich with the emotions and experiences of her life. I’m drawn into her story sung in her songs.
Ella Fitzgerald’s singing so smooth, evocative and expressive. I’m in awe. Her vocal agility and nuance go right to my heart. She inspires my love of singing old Jazz and inspires some of the more melodic elements of my songwriting.
Big Mama Thornton – Queen of Blues and Rock and Roll. She is raw and honest! Her voice just grabs me on a visceral level. She inspires my most un-abashed singing.
What do you base your success on?
I feel very thankful that I have the opportunity to be living my dream as a professional musician. Music is at the core of my authentic self, it is my passion and my vocation. Most of what I call success, I base on two elements.
The first is my raw passion and dedication to music.
Sometimes opportunities come easily – a matter of being in the right place at the right time, but most often it’s my persistence and willingness to work hard – to keep practicing, songwriting, being vulnerable in my art, reaching for new possibilities, that has taken my career to new levels. Even when facing set backs or challenges along the way, it’s my love of music that guides me through.
A second, but equally important element is collaboration. No one is an island. We lean on and learn from each other all the time. I am more successful because of each musician I’ve had the pleasure to work with, every sound engineer, all the venues, my vocal coach, my husband, friends and family, really, each person along the way. It’s the good will, expertise and kindness of others that have profoundly contributed to my successes in my life.
What was your latest musical release?
My latest release, Under Your Spell is from my Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do album. It’s a nostalgic tribute to my roots and the memories associated with a local bar in my hometown called Kingsbury’s. It’s an upbeat song that speaks to the struggle of trying to move on and make a new start in my life, only to be irresistibly drawn back to the grasp of an unforgettable person from an unforgettable place. Like me, Kingsbury’s has long since gone, but sometimes I feel a strange nostalgia for that place, for the smell of stale beer and for the people who used to be there.
I wrote the Under Your Spell after stepping away from music during a difficult year to be with my parents as they were dying. The uplifting tone of the song became of balm for me after so much personal loss. When I returned to Oregon, I started collaborating with my co-writer, Ken Orsow, who inspired many of the signature guitar licks throughout the song. This became one of the first songs we recorded for the new album.
Do you have any news to share?
I’m about to release my official video for Under Your Spell followed by the lyric video. After that, I’m gearing up to drop my title track – Plenty Of Nothin’ To Do – to be released on July 7th!!
I’ll be on the East Coast doing a few shows then return to Oregon for a full Summer of performances.
How can fans find you?
Website: www.jenambrose.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/JenAmbroseMusic/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenambrosemusic/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jenambrose
Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/2Lqfv4Rqjfeh6UrwOvVTSp
LinkTree: linktr.ee/JenAmbroseMusic
Photo credit given to the late, great "Glamour Dave" Nienow. RIP
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Thank you so much for asking these thoughtful questions. I appreciate your support of the Arts & Music community and helping to give voice to the important work people are doing.
I want to remind folks to stay true to your passions and to Keep the Flame Alive!