esther: Press

Gorgeously produced, rich, lush but folky arrangements perfectly suited to her voice and songs. Way to go!

Fab vocals...exceptional writing...relaxed and honest...excellent performance, Beatlesesque arrangements, creative production.

Excellent music!

Folksinger esther was walking into the Harvest Co-op in October 1997 when she spotted a photo of a young boy in a baseball uniform. It was Jeffrey Curley, a 10-year-old Cambridge boy who had just disappeared. His picture was posted near the store entrance.

"I saw that he was missing, and my immediate thought was that this kid was dead," esther said.

And in fact, Jeffrey Curley was dead. He had been abducted by two men and murdered after he reportedly refused their sexual advances. Authorities and concerned citizens searched for Jeffrey for several days before his body was found at the bottom of a Maine river, sealed inside a Rubbermaid tub.

esther watched the story unfold on the news.

"It really impacted me. I was heartbroken," she said. "I just couldn't get his face out of my head."

That same week, esther wrote a song about Jeffrey Curley and the time she saw his picture in Central Square:

"I saw your face in a grocery store
posted on the bulletin board
baseball cap, wide smile
missing 10-year-old child
walked on home, closed the cupboard door
my day went on like the day before
except now I can't erase
the memory of your face..."

"I carried that face with me for a long time, for that day, and then months and months later," esther said. "That's where the some came from basically."

The song is called "Tribute to Jeffrey Curley." It's the fourth track on esther's new album, EVE'S LAMENT, which will be released next month. The album is dedicated to Bob Curley, Jeffrey's father, and his family.

About a year after Jeffrey was killed, esther approached Bob Curley and asked him if he was comfortable with her recording and playing the folk ballad dedicated to his son. She said Bob listened to it, and approved.

Aside from recounting her own experience with the picture of Jeffrey Curley and mentioning what happened to him, esther offers some kind words to Jeffrey in her song:

"I know the angels will embrace you
and God will tuck you in tonight
When you wake up in heaven
greeted by a shiny new day
I hope you play baseball again."

Great tunes that will make you think and laugh.

Esther's compositions are fresh, diverse and sometimes playful through her gift of creating clever lyrics and rhythms. Her voice is almost pastoral and flows over the listener like a soft wave washing away the stress of the day.

What a fine piece of work! Great overall sound and writing...people will like this CD very much!

When I heard her song "The Rules," I laughed so hard I had a coughing fit because I was getting over a cold, then I started crying.

Better than Dar Williams! This Boston area songstress will win your heart within the first three songs guaranteed! Her debut CD "Eve's Lament" is great!

"Eve's Lament" is a delightful album showcasing Esther's incredible singing and songwriting. Her poignant stories are delivered in an envelope of beautiful melodies that leave me wanting to listen again and again.

Her airy voice is lofty and soothing as she delivers her collection of personal messages song after song.

A host of talented friends on instruments ranging from mandolin to pedal steel to cello breathe a convincing musicallity to this project and help esther's musical dreams become stirring reality.

Moving tracks include "Tied to a Tumbleweed," "Moon Over the Water," and the beautiful "Tribute to Jeffrey Curley."

Cambridge's Esther Friedman (esther)'s light and airy vocals complement the diversity of her lyrics. At Passim on Wednesday, August 22, she sang of the raw and emotional depths of life, yet again, interspersed it all with humor. She was skilled, genuine and endearing. Her gorgeous "Moon Over the Water," about a past relationship in Gloucester, made a lasting impact with its vulnerable beauty.

A midwest transplant from Wisconsin and Ohio, esther has just released EVE'S LAMENT, her debut CD. She was a showcased artist at fall 2000's Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and at First Night in Boston.

"My parents took me to orchestra concerts, the ballet, operas, art fairs, etc. As a kid I took violin and ballet."

Her early experience was cosmopolitan. "We spent a year living in London where I was exposed to buskers. I went to school there and we travelled all around Europe in a tiny red car, the four kids crammed in the back seat."

The family moved to Cleveland when esther was 14, and here her musical craft began with guitar chords and songs. When esther came to Boston, she attended Lesley College's expressive therapy program, but her true interests were with the street performers in Harvard Square. She worked for five years in human services, "while honing vocal, guitar, and writing skills. I brought my songs to a producer in 1998. We released a CD in May 2001, and the rest is future..."

...Relationships were the order of the night...these four talents gave it their all, and aimed to touch all with the unspoken voice of the universal, womanly experience.