Esh's Background

Esh (Jim Eshleman,ll) is a dedicated professional composer and arranger, contemporary pianist/organist/multi-keyboardist, guitarist, certified recording engineer and a specialist in the field of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) applications. Esh has thirty eight years of professional experience as an entertainer and as a public speaker, DJ and master of ceremonies.

Esh began playing keyboards early in life - about 6. He was privately tutored on organ and became a professional performer at the age of 14, featured regularly in solo performances and a variety of bands throughout his native Middle Georgia area. He studied music theory and composition in high school and college. Esh is a veteran of the United States Air Force and was trained and certified as an Audio-Visual Engineer at Norton AFB, California. He was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 1970's where he also continued to perform regularly as a keyboardist with several popular regional bands. He returned to Georgia after his military service and performed with many popular bands throughout the Southeast.

In 1982 he broke with the traditional ensemble and formed his own unprecedented, all-electronic band "Esh & Star Company". The group won top honors in the Georgia state SEARCH competition. Esh went on to perform in a series of concerts as featured guest soloist and synthesist with the Chattanooga and Fort Worth Symphonies. He also performed in a series of his own planetarium concerts and became well known for touring with a custom 14ft blue fiberglass "spaceship" that housed his extensive stage system. The spaceship now resides at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Esh was also one of the founders of New Lake Studio in Macon, Georgia; which specialized in jingle and commercial music production, and his voice has been used in many commercial broadcasts.

Esh has been featured in Keyboard magazine and has worked as a technology consultant and freelance writer and photographer for local and national publications and for online web magazines. Besides his extensive solo performances, Esh has also performed as guest keyboardist for many well-known recording acts in the Southeast. He has also conducted seminars on music technology at several colleges and universities.

Esh and his wife Sheila reside in Kennesaw, Georgia just northwest of Atlanta. In addition to his extensive live performances, Esh also continues to produce music for commercial applications and is also a highly experienced computer/network (IT) specialist, videographer/editor and a freelance commercial photographer. Esh is an active member of the American Mensa Society.

Besides a nickname used for all of his professional life, "Esh" is also an ancient Hebrew word for "fire". Esh's current equipment list includes a Yamaha CP-300 digital piano, a Kawai ES-4 digital piano, a Hammond XK3c organ, (2) Yamaha 9000 Pro synthesizers, an Access Virus TI Polar synthesizer, a Novation X-Station 49 synthesizer, and a wide assortment of amplification gear. His studio features a 24-track Tascam recorder and he is an expert at desktop music production.