Juniper Rose
A Double Shot of Good
With the pandemic becoming less of an issue, pockets of good local music continue to surface. The Juniper Rose duo consisting of Amy Jenkins and Hollie Olson, two veteran musicians, is a testament to the Portland music landscape seeing the light of day.
“We play the music that people who see two girls can’t believe the songs we can do; we play a little bit of everything,” says Hollie Olson.
On November 10th, At The Ship Tavern (first time), I had the pleasure of hearing and feeling the music of Juniper Rose, two talented singer-songwriters. The musical synchronicity was sweet, sometimes funny, and always tasteful. Together they were in a groove and brought the audience along for a smooth ride. They’re good.
“I like their harmonies. Hollie is so great on the keyboards, she infuses her personality into her songs,” says friend and audience member Susan Funk.
Hollie Olson plays the keyboard, keybass, and vocals. Her music history is rich, with 35-plus years in the music business as a singer-songwriter-performer under her musical belt. Hollie’s older brother, a musician at 15, is her most substantial musical influence beginning at age 3, along with her mother, who was a piano player and taught her chords. From there, her musical journey began and continues.
Amy Jenkins plays Slaptop Cajon, percussion, and vocals. Her exposure to music began with her musician father singing harmonies in childhood. She was placed in her first vocal competition at 11, following years spent in concert choir. Amy is a sought-after studio vocalist. Hearing her soulful vocals, she exhibits excellent range. Amy has fronted such dance bands as 5 Grand, Urban Funk Outfit, and The Tony Sinclair Band. She counts Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raítt, Amy Winehouse, and Annie Lennox among her many influences.
The beauty of Juniper Rose is the connectedness the audience feels with the musical polish of Hollie and Amy. They, too, feel it. They play well together; they create an easy groove that all ease into comfortably, me included. The opening songs warmed up the audience nicely with “The Letter” – By the Boxtops, “Heard it Through the Grapevine into Chain of Fools” – by Marvin Gaye/Aretha Franklin, “Angel from Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt, and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. Smiles reigned throughout The Ship.
“I would like to have people leave after hearing us with a feeling of a fun time and a bit less stress in their life,” says Olson.
Juniper Rose stays busy. In 2022, they worked most weekends and then some. Presently they have an impressive Six Song EP that testifies to Amy and Hollie’s singing and songwriting excellence. Upcoming dates include December 3rd from 8-11 p.m. at the Stonewood Bar & Grill in Vancouver and December 29th from 6-8 p.m at The Ship Tavern in Multnomah Village. They are scheduled monthly at The Ship Tavern. With Juniper Rose, additional dates are always a possibility.
“Everybody enjoys them. They’re good to hear and really nice. We like them a lot,” said Rachel, The Ships Captain.
The beauty of Juniper Rose’s website is all-encompassing, with bios of both band members, live clips from different gigs, an impressive song list of originals and covers, and current upcoming shows. Juniper Rose is on Spotify, Deezer, and iTunes. Additionally, their videos are on ROKU and YouTube.
Check out Juniper Rose’s website at http://www.juniperrosemusic.com
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