{"id":1838,"date":"2015-08-10T11:08:53","date_gmt":"2015-08-10T15:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nezbar.com\/?p=1838"},"modified":"2015-08-14T11:32:34","modified_gmt":"2015-08-14T15:32:34","slug":"street-scents-with-queen-esther-vocalist-songriter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nezbar.com\/street-scents-with-queen-esther-vocalist-songriter\/","title":{"rendered":"Street Scents with Queen Esther, Vocalist-Songwriter"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to stand still when Queen Esther takes the stage, but we managed to sit down with this NYC-based vocalist to talk about her life in the city, what inspires her music, and some of her favorite scents. Raised in the Deep South, Queen has since traded the sweet smell of wisteria and honeysuckle for the savory wafts of city street meat, but from the sound of it, she’d have it no other way.<\/p>\n

If you’re headed to the Jazz Age Lawn Party<\/a> this weekend (14-16 August), she’ll be performing on Saturday the 15th. Read on for a little behind-the-scenes look, sound and smell of Queen!<\/p>\n

Name<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n

Queen Esther ,\u00a0Vocalist-Actor-Songwriter-Musician<\/p>\n

What makes you happy to call Harlem your new home?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I am living my dream.<\/p>\n

When did you know you wanted to become a singer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When I couldn’t find work as an actor.<\/p>\n

How might you describe your style?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When I get dressed? Drum magazine pin up meets Seydou Keita\/Malick Sidibe party girl, definitely. I mix up Byron Lars, Tracey Reese, vintage from the 30s & 40s, African fabrics and silver jewelry. \u00a0When I sing? Well, here’s what someone said about my last Black Americana album \u2018The Other Side\u2019 that describes my sound perfectly:<\/p>\n

“This album is amazing. And very difficult to classify. Can you imagine a black Lucinda Williams? Not like when she plays the blues torn from her first albums, no. A black Lucinda Williams in pop, rhythm, blues and even gender roots Americana. So it sounds, if you can imagine such a hodgepodge somehow, the latest album from this brutal, original, explosive singer.<\/em>” — El Descodificador, Vanity Fair (Spain)<\/p>\n

Name a Few Musical Inspirations.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Andre Crouch, Hubert Sumlin, Dolly Parton, Donny Hathaway, Leon Russell, James”Blood” Ulmer and of course, Edwin and Walter Hawkins<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite number to perform lately<\/strong>?<\/h3>\n

My favorite number is definitely my newest song.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a song you\u2019re dying to cover?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

‘Lay Down’ by Melanie — and you wouldn’t be surprised if you knew me (wink).<\/p>\n

Your Next Dream Tour City:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Because, quiet as its kept, Africans love country music. I’d love to be the one that they embrace.<\/p>\n

You wear a lot of fabulous floral accessories, what\u2019s your favorite flower<\/strong>?<\/h3>\n

My favorite flower is a palmetto rose, which isn’t really a flower at all. At least, not in the conventional sense…!<\/p>\n

We noticed your signature scent immediately! Tell us about it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kiehl’s \u00a0Love Musk.\u00a0It’s intoxicating. Its scent changes radically from person to person, so both of us can wear it and it will be two completely different scents. I love it because it’s a magic elixir that’s meant to make anyone that smells it on you fall in love with you. I wear it when I sing because I want the audience to love me. And they do.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s do a little scent-song association. For example ‘ll give you a scent, you give me a song. For example,\u00a0Pasty Cline’s ‘Crazy’ is salted caramel, teary and smooth.<\/h3>\n

Black Cherry Seltzer<\/strong>: \u00a0Tom Petty – Into The Great Wide Open<\/em><\/p>\n

Warm Blueberry Pie:<\/strong> –\u00a0e. – Beautiful Freak<\/em><\/p>\n

A Bouquet of White Lilies<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>Florence Quivar – Witness<\/em><\/p>\n

City Sidewalks After a Summer Rain<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>Walter Hawkins and the Love Alive choir – Oh, Happy Day<\/em><\/p>\n

Barbecue Smoke<\/strong>:\u00a0James Brown – Talkin’ Loud and Saying Nothin’<\/em><\/p>\n

Margarita on the rocks with fresh-squeezed lime<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>John Coltrane – I Want To Talk About You<\/em><\/p>\n

\"queen<\/a><\/p>\n

Where can we go to hear you \/ see you perform?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I’ll be at Rockwood Music Hall for WFUV’s On The Radar Series with my band The Blue Crowns on July 14th. For tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If Black Americana isn’t your thing, I’ll be at Gin Fizz Lounge on Friday, August 7th and Minton’s Harlem<\/a> on the last two Sundays in July (19th and 26th) and every Tuesday in August with the ever-popular Queen Esther Sings Billie Holiday: The Rare Sides. \u00a0Please check my website<\/a>\u00a0for details.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to stand still when Queen Esther takes the stage, but we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[281],"tags":[386,393,391,385,382,384,390,387,110,383,392,388,389],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n