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I fell in love with myself, and my life and I stayed true to myself and my uniqueness. I nurtured my

ideas and kept my goals and my priorities in order, and I constantly schemed as to how I’d get my
ideas out into the world. God only knows how I paid the rent.

LL: You were awarded a residency at Gettysburg National Military Park. How did you come
into it, and what did it entail?

QE: The National Parks Arts Foundation has a month-long Artist-In-Residency Program for all of
the national parks in America. You choose the park and apply, and you get to actually live in the
park. And they pay you. In most instances, you can bring your creative partner and your family. I

applied for Gettysburg National Military Park because I was working on Blackbirding, a one person
show about how the Civil War has never
really ended. J. C. Hopkins and Queen Esther at Minton's Harlem in
New York City, 2014
I got to live in a house that was built in
the 1850s and located in the heart of the
battlefield. My only directive was that I
roam around and let the environment
inspire me. I ended up writing a song

cycle about different locations that
moved me. With any luck, that will be
my next Black Americana album.

LL: Let’s talk about your latest
release Gild The Black Lily. Can you
please tell us your concept and vision
for the album?

QE: This album should really be called “I Miss My Grandma”. She passed away a few years ago and
I don’t know when I’m going to stop reeling from the loss. I’m not sure if I can fully explain how

much I miss her. I don’t know how to tell you who she was to me, what she meant to me, how she
never failed to lift me up and carry me over some threshold I could hardly see, over and over again,
all the way through my adult years. The album is an homage to her. It’s a snapshot of my Southern
Lowcountry childhood, the music I would listen to, the sunshine, the trees, all of it. It’s a sonic
memory of my grandmother and her mother, my great-grandmother. The song John The Revelator
for example is a very poor imitation of the way my great-grandmother would sing it. Sister Rosetta
Tharpe was raised COGIC (Church of God in Christ) like me. I grew up listening to her and The

Eagles and watching George Jones on Hee Haw like everybody else. For me, this album is the
natural order of things.

LL: Please tell us about the musicians who worked with you on the album.

QE: I’ve known all of them for years. Not surprisingly, only Greg Lewis is from New York City. The
Bronx, I think. Interestingly, they’re all well-honed and well-educated jazz musicians with the
possible exception of Boo Reiners who’s from Richmond, VA. Then again, he went to Berklee School
of Music like everyone else, so never mind. Shirazette Tinnin is from Asheville, North Carolina and
is a ridiculously well-educated and accomplished percussionist, drummer, and composer. Hilliard
Green was Little Jimmy Scott’s music director for 20 years. Greg Lewis is a genius. Jeff McLaughlin

is from Georgia -- Atlanta, I think. He’s the kind of guitarist that can play absolutely anything.