Paul "Wallace" Esch

Teacher and Ethnomusicologist Paul "Wallace" Esch creates a brand of the world genre that emphasizes a different range of music than just ethnic tunes. From metal to flamenco, baroque to blues, Paul's playing is a blend of the technical composition behind each genre and his own creativity.
After so long of teaching, a student had asked Paul, "When you're at home, and you just play some guitar, what do you play?" This inspired Paul to head into the studio and show everyone just what he did. The album, entitled as a tribute, "What do you play?" is a collection of guitar solos and duets (with a student of his, Joel Cornell) in Paul's many different styles. The album became a surprise hit when it was released in 2005; Paul shot to the top ten of local artists in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and sold thousands of copies of the record.
Two years later, Paul released his sophomore album, a sort of response to his first, entitled, "Everything." This new CD of eclectic sounds emphasizes the wide variety of music that Paul loves and plays. While he continues in his tradition with guitar solos and duets, Paul added another element to his new album: a full band sound. Newly included are Joel Cornell returning on guitar and bass, and two other students, Alex Brusentsev on guitar and bass, and Jon Friedman on drumkit and percussion. "It's just a lot of everything," Paul says. "Can you dig it?"
After a summer of wicked shows, including the Varsity Theater, and fun times with "Everything"'s release, the guys are working on even more opportunities to play and more material. Hope you enjoy!