“There’s a kind of raw naivet to Queen Esther’s voice. The way she slides into and out of each note, slurring her enunciation, with a sly hesitating sense of rhythm that just borders on slow, as if she’s listening and playing to an alternative beat. To be honest, she plays so fast and loose with her intonation that at first she seemed out of tune, but with time and multiple listenings, I began to see what she was doing. Queen Esther approaches her vocals more as an instrumentalist might, bending notes and delaying the timing to emphasize the solo. It’s masterful, but not everyone can pull this off. On reflection, it’s obvious that Queen Esther puts a lot of thought into her performance, while at the same time she makes it seem graceful and carefree. That’s one of the hallmarks of a true virtuoso.”

— Audiophile Audition

“Queen Esther’s work on this CD is ultra-hip, not because of who she reminds the listener of, but precisely because, whatever influences she brings to the table, she manages to make you think of no one but herself.”

— Jazzitude

“The more I listened to Queen Esther, the more I wanted to listen to Queen Esther. The band is one of the top jazz ensembles around, the songs from Hopkins are deliciously memorable and well written and Queen Esther's performance is an instant classic. She seems to bring her amazing voice from the very core of her soul and owns every song she sings. This is the best jazz album I've heard this year.” - Don Sechelski

— Muse's Muse

“The selections on this record are perfectly suited for Queen Esther's retro style of vocalizing. She has an innate sense of how, when, where a jazz singer should come in and out, using her voice as an instrument tuned to the highest and deepest of emotions, that's what she does. ” - James Nadal

— All About Jazz