“There’s a decidedly Stones-y swagger to many of these tunes with just a touch of twang, and Queen Esther shows herself to be as versatile a vocalist as Tina (Turner), covering not only the lead vocals but nearly all the background vocals as well. She's got a great voice (4 octave range) and maybe its her theater background but all her vocals (even the backing vox) are filled with passion and brimming with personality. Queen Esther writes about what she knows: mostly being a young woman transplanted to New York City and relationships, but she’s a keen observer and turns some great phrases throughout. The band is Rock and Roll basics: guitars, bass and drums--and more guitars, and they play with just the right mixture of being together but playing loose. Jack Sprat’s production is crisp but not glossy and there’s a freshness to the performances that implies they didn’t play these songs to death hoping for the “perfect” take... You’ll have to set your preconceptions aside for this one. Queen Esther is active in the theater and performance art worlds, sings the blues, sings jazz with the JC Hopkins Biggish Band and now has offered up a great Rock and Roll album. Is there anything this woman can’t do?” (4 out of 5 stars)

“A quick glance of the cover could confuse this release with Meshell Ndegeocello’s Comfort Woman. Not really a blues album, yet aptly tagged as “Black Americana,’ Manhattan-via-Austin super-side-woman Esther melds roots, pop and R & B in a way Lucinda Williams, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow never could on their best days. “Shine” rocks akin to Exile-era Stones, ‘Love’ and ‘The Way of the World’ ooze BB King sufferage via classic Philly soul grooves, ‘New York City’ simmers with raucous urban funk riffage and ‘Get It Right This Time’ floats neo-psychedelic overtones on a greasy backbeat to kill for.  Who's your mommy?”

“This album incorporates sounds of roots, blues (“So Real”), gospel (“Help Me”) and country.  The one thing that comes through in every song is the power and soul in Queen Esther’s voice.  Some record executives may disagree with my assessment about the power of her voice because Queen Esther doesn’t belt out songs like Christina Aguilera.  But never mind the record executives.  Thank goodness she’s not like Christina Aguilera.  Rather, the power of Queen Esther’s voice is in the soulful way she delivers her songs.  She doesn’t need to over-emote like some singers because there is so much soul in her voice that you’ll feel what she’s singing.  The greatest example of this is in her cover of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.”  I’m not kidding when I say the song gave me chills.  It is a knockout and it alone makes this album worth having.It’s a pretty safe bet that Queen Esther was influenced by some other classic artists beside Tammy Wynette.  Talkin Fishbowl Blues begins with “Promise Me” in which Queen Esther’s voice sounds pretty similar to Joni Mitchell.  And the guitar in the title track sounds a lot like the Rolling Stones.Overall, this is a really solid effort.  There were a couple songs (“Love” and “So Real”) that didn’t quite grab me like the rest of the songs did.  But that voice overcomes a lot.  If Queen Esther were an athlete, she’d be called a “throwback” and rightly so.  She sings with the kind of soul you don’t hear much anymore.  And she doesn’t need some record executive to help her manufacture it.”

“(Queen Esther’s) first full-length album shows that her own preferences run toward traditions that have somewhat lacked for an African-American presence of late. She calls her music “Black Americana”and makes it stick with a clutch of tastefully tuneful tracks that dabble in bluesy soul, pop, funk and country. Her cover of “Stand By Your Man” strips the song down to a weary woman’s blues without losing it’s twang. Highlights include “Shine” a bit of catchy swaggering rock, the aching lap-steel driven “Taster's Choice” and the a capella “Help Me.” The album is an implicit statement of it's own – that however you slice up American roots music, those roots come in several shades.”

“Queen Esther has definetly made a statement. “Talkin Fishbowl Blues” will leave you with a lasting impression of what she’s all about. A well written and well produced debut from a lady who has quite a resume. She's been in New York theatre, and now on the stage with her band. Smart, Solid, and Swanky, Queen’s music isn’t “Black Americana” it's just great music.”

“Every track stands alone, a tower of singularity and purpose. There is no repetition and any time for displacement of time or rhythm in a song on this album, it is a solid representation of the artist and her substance. What a great example of an empowered woman living the dream and playing her music with passion and heart… Legends like B.B. King would dig this girl and her vibe. She is modern, yet not flashy while holding true to herself with firmness and a forthright approach and style.”

“(Queen Esther) comes armed with one of those classic voices that no one will easily forget and is identifiable almost at the first instant.”

“Queen Esther is an enigma within an enigma. (Her) voice is as strong and soulful as any I’ve heard in a long time. She deserves her Queen moniker.”

“...she is classically trained, and in possession of a four-octave range. So what’s she singing swampy rock and blues for? The short answer is who cares, because she kills on the material here. (So) do you classify this as blues, or rock, or what? About the only word I can think of is ‘smoking,’ because this disc is, from start to finish.”

“Unlike most modern blues singers, Queen Esther is not afraid to learn from many genres and then use their essential strengths to add telling details to her own stories. She quietly pleads with lyrics that use both the bluntness and crooked wit of the blues tradition to draw an emotionally detailed portrait of the romantic dramas awaiting a young, smart New York woman who moves with ease through the avant and blues worlds. Much of her emotional landscape is given extra dimensions by a band whose slightly off kilter yet precisely played licks and beats prove they know musical power can be created without showboating. In a genre increasingly dominated by songwriters afraid to tell their stories Queen Esther and group demonstrate truth talking and entertainment were both tools for the true blues artist.”

“The first reference that shows itself is Joan Armatrading. This forgotten singer-songwriter from the 70s knew how to combine rock, blues and soul. Queen Esther is doing the same, but leans the most toward blues-rock. Sometimes she’s even leaning so far that she echoes the propelling sound of Little Feat. It immediately happens in opening song Promise Me, but also in Leave Me Alone.”

This album has some of the catchiest songs on one record that I’ve heard in a long, long time. Queen Esther combines the grittiness of Rolling Stones take on blues/rock, silky-smooth black-gospel harmonies with pop-sensibilities that makes you sit up and take notice.”

“Part country, folk, bluegrass, roots-rock, etc., Americana is hard enough to describe. Now here’s the Queen and an Americana subgenre with a welcome twist.  With ‘Talkin’ Fishbowl Blues’ Queen Esther and a solid team, including several sharp guitarists, mix blues with R&B and touches of twang, rock ‘n’ roll swagger and gospel harmony.   She writes and sings about love found (‘Shine’) and lost (‘Leave Me Alone’). And she splits the difference without pulling punches. When she closes the disc with a spare, quirky take on Tammy Wynette’s ‘Stand by Your Man,’ there’s a chance the Queen means it.”

“Queen Esther rather pours it out strongly with blazing soul rockers like “Promise Me” and “Shine,” the opening songs of Talkin’ Fishbowl Blues. In some songs, such as the title song, a little bit of Stone’s (and Bette Midleser’s) “Beast of Burden” is shining through.”

“If our (ME) dares to place a practically unknown cd on number 1 of the annual list, it must be a very special cd. That’s what happened with Talkin’ Fishbowl Blues and, as usual, (ME) was absolutely right. Because this cd is full of impressive songs and well suited to be played at full blast. That has every thing to do with the unmistakable Stones-sound that’s being used, but also with the amazing voice of Esther, who has not only proven herself as a singer, but has credentials in theater as well. What kind of music is this Black American playing, I can hear you asking and the answer is not so simple. Due to the Stones sound I (am pleased to) say rock and R & B. Because of the twang and themes I would consider americana to be correct. On her website you repeatedly find the phrase ‘black americana’ and I can agree with that, even for only the bits of triphop and gospel soul it contains. Esther is a fine composer (except for the very successfully done Stand by your man, she has written or co-written everything herself), but she particularly shines as a singer.  She doesn’t venture on playing an instrument, but in her case it’s understandable: one who possesses such a set of vocal cords is destined to make that the main trademark. Having said this… the album contains twelve songs, and every one of them is very suitable for radio. The title song, Taster’s Choice, New York City, and The Way of the World are my personal favorites, though. I remain with a single question: Why can’t I find a reference to the great Joan Armatrading in any review? Because if you ask me, that’s what Queen Esther is: Joan’s heiress. You can already guess my advice: find out, fast!”

“Queen Esther is, in the right sense of the phrase, a special case. Armed with a classically trained four octave reaching voice, this Atlanta, Georgia Black singer with a stop in Austin, Texas, leaves for New York where she expresses her singing and writing talent in almost any imaginable musical genre (from vaudeville to art noise) and collaboration. Fortunately, Talkin’ Fishbowl Blues is not as divergent, but does have a slice of music styles she grew up with: jazz, blues, gospel, country and rock. This self-proclaimed queen gives us a treat of twelve excellent numbers, creating a great blend of her music background. Ten compositions are her own, each distinguished by an uncompromising and contemporary approach, with beautiful melody cords and irresistible rhythms. The CD starts with the contemporary ‘Promise Me’ which was given a delightful trip hop basis, and ends with a blue-eyed soul version of Tammy Wynette’s conservative ‘Stand by your Man.’ There you have the outline of the musical range in which she operates. In other words, Queen Esther offers a musical mixture labeled ‘Black Americana’ on the CD. There is, in my opinion, no better way to describe this music which, by the way, is also great dance music.”

"On her first solo effort, Talkin' Fishbowl Blues, Queen Esther turns in top-notch performances on song after song, with a voice that is at once both contemporary and timeless. There's a confidence in her delivery that stands up to Jack Sprat's ragged guitar, which defines a lot of the disc. The flip side of it is that as sexy and seductive as she can be, there's also a sort of homey comfort in her voice, and that's not something you find everywhere. To my ears, there's not a weak spot on the disc."

— BluesWax e-zine

"Queen Esther's finely-tuned pop sensibility is the icing on the cake, where tracks like Leave Me Alone embody catchy riffs and melodic hooks that bring you back for more. Throughout, (her) compelling sense of individual identity earns far more than an honourable mention, in fact a definite recommendation, for this seriously tasty release."

— Net Rythyms

"Bluesy, country rock in the Bonnie Raitt style… sort of."

"Talkin' Fishbowl Blues (is) an album of blues, soul and rock that maintains a stripped-down, earthy vibe while still exuding a smooth warmth. A gifted vocalist, assured songwriter and solid bandleader, (Queen) Esther gets down and dirty ("Leave Me Alone"), sly and soulful ("So Real"), fresh and funky ("Get It Right This Time") and hits all point in between. Talkin' Fishbowl Blues shows many facets, but it's all one shiny diamond."

Queen Esther's voice is just a little too pretty for the blues. And that's okay, because she doesn't really play the blues (the title track is a snarky rocker, not unlike something off Jagged Little Pill). What she does have is a fine sense of style, and she colors her songs most impressively."

" 'Leave Me Alone' has an attitude with its commanding instrumentation and potent vocals. Hidden in the midst of the track is an almost country twang jam suffused in the blues."

"This is a high concept album. It's an attempt to take Blues back to its original or aboriginal state, and the result is mesmerizing. 52nd Street Blues Project has stripped away so much of what we think of when we think of the Blues and somehow they end up with more and not less... Nowhere is the connection between sacred and secular more evident than in Queen Esther's vocals. Her voice is smooth and crisp like an old-time Jazz vocalist, but her style is Sunday morning church choir soloist. This style takes center stage in the beautiful closing track "Sunnyland.""

— BluesWax e-zine

“Queen Esther’s searing vocals perfectly meld with James “Blood” Ulmer’s revamped but utterly soulful blues guitar. The band also includes violin, stand-up bass, and drums. It’s a fresh new look at the blues.”

“(But) as great as (Blues & Grass) is, Ulmer fans have heard much of this music before; the real revelation on this album is Queen Esther, whose uplifting songs and great singing are definite highlights on a consistently strong album. Just see if you can get ‘Sunnyland’ or ‘I’m Goin’ out of your head at the end of the disc.”

"Funky guitar genius James "Blood" Ulmer has friends in all the right places: Charles Burnham jams blue on fiddle. Aubrey Dayle's drums push where needed and sit out where not. Mark Peterson's bass offers cool counter commentary throughout, especially on the introspective "A Miniature of the Bass." Best of all: Queen Esther sings the blues, sweet, clear and defiant."

The collective of Hoosegow is actually Elliott Sharp, noted NYC avant mover and shaker, and Queen Esther, whose name is not familiar to me but whose voice speaks volumes. Hoosegow revisits traditional blues with a very deft touch, defying the expected cliches here and there. Sharp’s acoustic accomplishments are outstanding, quickly shifting gears between bluesy rumbles to jazzy spikes and fleeting dissonant meanderings. On top of this richly textured bed floats Queen Esther’s outstanding voice, which ranges from the deep to the soaring with beautiful harmonic accuracy and great feeling. Mighty is several things to several groups, often across the borders. Truly unique.

“I’m really surprised no one thought of this before: soulful female blues vocals over spare, avant-garde acoustic guitar. At the risk of overstating the obvious, Elliott Sharp has been, in the past, quite overbearing—but that’s what he’s, uh, paid to do! In Hoosegow, however, Sharp keeps the guitaring under tight control—this is Queen Esther’s show. Her voice swoops in and out, curing around the well-considered and emotionally wrenching lyrics. Purists will probably be unconvinced, but Mighty affects me more than any other contemporary blues I’ve heard. Though this recording may be a little out of US Rocker’s scope, anyone with half a brain would be foolish not to pick it up: Mighty is a classic.”

“Hooking up with vocalist Queen Esther, (Hoosegow) gives us actual new fresh interpretations of the blues—at times, it’s really riveting stuff.”

“Hoosegow, a collaboration between experimental guitarist Elliott Sharp and avant-diva Queen Esther, makes blues music that’s simultaneously reverent, accessible and thoroughly original. With no percussion outside of Sharp’s shimmering, full-bodied electro-acoustic blues guitar, Queen Esther is given full room to whisper, seethe and really belt it out and she emerges as an assertive and versatile blues voice on nearly every song. Don’t let Hoosegow’s avant-garde resume fool you into thinking this is some sort of impenetrably experimental album: Mighty is a refreshing, unpredictable and appropriately titled blues breakthrough.”

“Elliot Sharp continues to astound us with his depth and daring. Recording with bluesy gospel vocalist Queen Esther, E# steers more towards the far-above-average blues of his Terraplane LP than the conceptualized avant-skronk he’s best known for.”

“Elliot Sharp has never been without elaborate rationalizations for his musical choices. He bases compositions on mathematical sequences; he tunes instruments to frequencies that are multiples of each other. Balancing all this arithmetically determined order is “a fractal geometry of turbulence, chaos and disorder.” Not surprisingly, behind the intellectualization, he feels a secret urge to be Leadbelly—just Elliott, his 501s and a bottleneck slide. But here he does much more than prove that he gets the blues. He observes rhythms so carefully that he is free to make unusual choices about notes. Queen Esther, a performance artist from Atlanta, provides straightforward vocals on 12 original songs and a Willie Dixon number. Her strengths are energetic and unusual phrasing and a very pretty tone on the high notes. Her lyrics convey poetic Weltschmerz, though you get the feeling you’ve heard them somewhere before: she even uses the phrases “running on empty” and “wasted on the way.” But we all occasionally need to sing “No one knows how I feel/no one cares for me.” Spiced with the blues frankness and abandon, self-pity’s triteness disappears.”

“Hoosegow represents the odd musical coupling of New York guitar experimentalist Elliot Sharp and singer/performance artist Queen Esther. Normally known for his dissonant, highly percussive, distinctly unmelodic compositions, Sharp first ventured into the world of blues recording with 1995’s Terraplane, a loud, electric, all-instrumental tribute to guitar heroes like Otis Rush and Elmore James. This time around, the instrumental settings are solo acoustic guitar, the tunes are original (with the notable exception of a wonderfully restrained treatment of Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready”) and Queen Esther adds lyrics and her soft, sultry, hauntingly precise vocals to the mix. I suppose you could complain at length about the results. “It’s too cold, too restrained, too reverent to the tradition (even with the dearth of covers), too meticulously achieved to really sound like the blues.” Forget it. Blues or not, this is a wonderful album, full of elegance, maturity and light, dancing notes on every tune. My only disappointment is that they didn’t include the great Hubert Sumlin (who used to play guitar with Howlin’ Wolf and recently joined Esther and Sharp for a set at the Knitting Factory) on at least one of the cuts.”

“Talent is the operative word here. Sharp’s blues chops are tastefully orthodox, especially in his acoustic slide work, although he’s a little restrained in the soloing department. That restraint, however, allows the Queen to take center stage with verses that go well beyond the standard blues fare of love bruised or lost. With a drop dead stare, Queen Esther navigates the songs with an attitude that reveals an Eartha Kitt influence and pipes nurtured on jazz and gospel recitation. It adds up to sets with minimal flash and plenty of electricity.”

“Though guitarrorist Elliott Sharp is half of Hoosegow, don’t plunk Mighty in your player expecting the crazed guitar fuckery that’s made him the darling of NYC’s downtown noise set. Mighty marks the follow-up to Sharp’s 1994 Terraplane, which featured an all-instrumental blues trio, and is similarly bluesified, tapping the spirit of James “Blood” Ulmer, Hubert Sumlin and Willie Dixon. The difference is that this one wraps a female vocalist—Queen Esther, with a voice as silky and sweet as a Georgia peach—around Sharp’s guitars, and the combination proves lethal. Twelve original tracks and a reprise of Dixon’s “I’m Ready” glisten with pristine musical simplicity, many of which could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their inspirations. “Is It Any Wonder?” features Sharp’s delicate touches; “Dead or Alive” pings and pops with overtones and “Trouble” calls up the low electric boogie of Neil Young’s recent Dead Man soundtrack. Esther’s voice is the ideal accompaniment to each cut, evoking everyone from Ella to Eartha, occasionally teasing and elliptical (“Any Wonder?”) and often bold and brassy (“Intuition,” “You Never Can Tell”). Though Sharp has long squirmed from within the guitar’s traditional parameters, Mighty finds him good-naturedly thumbing his nose at anyone who thinks he might have forgotten—or as an East Coast-educated white dude, never learned how to play—the roots. Here’s the blues record of the summer.”