Paul Pesco

Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer.

Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Korean mother (an author). The family lived for a time in Germany during Paul's youth before returning to New York. As of November 2012, Pesco resides in Millbrook, New York, where he maintains a home recording studio.

Beginning on the piano, Pesco would gradually build up a working proficiency with several different instruments before finding a natural fit with the guitar. He began seriously pursuing a career in music by working as a rehearsal technician at S.I.R. Studios, where he had brushes with numerous prominent artists. Having already played on some early sessions by a then-relatively unknown Madonna, Pesco was offered a position as a "utility man" (playing second guitar and keyboards) with Atlantic Starr on the band's 1982 tour, which would be his first prolific gig. Following this tour, Pesco was again recruited by Madonna to record on her self-titled debut album.

Other highlights In 1986, Pesco played on Steve Winwood's album Back in the High Life (on the song "The Finer Things") and on tour.

In 1989, Pesco released a solo album, Make It Reality, which featured himself on lead vocals, guitar, and often other instruments, backed by other session musicians.

In 1991, Pesco joined C+C Music Factory, creating the guitar parts for "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", "Things That Make You Go Hmmm...", among many other songs.

In 2001, he became musical director and guitarist for Jennifer Lopez, for her promotional tour and NBC music special. Pesco had worked with J-Lo in the studio, playing guitar on the song "Play" from her second album J.Lo.

In late 2002, he joined the house band for morning talk show The Wayne Brady Show on ABC. Around the same time, he worked on several film soundtracks including Around the Bend, Be Cool, Happy Feet and Robots with composer John Powell, the Brando documentary and the comedic short film, Basta Pasta with composer Andrea Morricone.

Pesco has also composed and performed on soundtracks for films such as Roxanne, Earth Girls Are Easy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Encino Man, Wild Orchid, Coming to America, Fried Green Tomatoes, Boca and Tap.

In 2005, Pesco co-composed the musical score for the documentary film The Canary Effect from director Robin Davey.

Pesco has recorded and toured with Joan Baez.

He is a member and co-producer of John Blackwell's John Blackwell Project (4ever Jia album).

He is also a member of drummer Dave Weckl's group (Multiplicity album).

Association with Hall and Oates Pesco was the lead guitarist and musical director of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates. He also performed the same role for Daryl Hall's successful reality music television program, Live from Daryl's House, He remained with the band through 2013 and had a highly visible role during Live from Daryl's House broadcasts. He added, "No one is more disappointed than I am ... I loved being a part of LFDH." He concluded, "Sometimes the tail wags the dog. I think Daryl and John made a decision based on misinformation and lies... It's a shame..."

He appeared on June 26 at Summerfest 2014 in Milwaukee.

Gear / endorsements Suhr Guitars, amps and pedals ESP Guitars Taylor Guitars Seymour Duncan Pickups DR Handmade Strings Line 6 digital effects Fishman Pickups Empirical Labs QSC Audio Products PreSonus StudioLive Quilter Labs (Amps) Tronical Cusack Pedals Soundtoys Plugins PRA WiC digital wireless systems for guitar

Solo discography Album Make It Reality (Sire), 1989

Singles "Black Is Black" (Sire) "I'm Hypnotized" (Sire) "The Politics of Love" (Sire)

Collaborations Year Album Artist Role 2021 A Sailor from the moon (Mike Blum Remix) Lord feat. Begüm Günceler & Tom Hooker Guitar 2013 Sex, Love & Reggae Gyptian Guitar 2012 All of Me Estelle Guitar 2012 Kaleidoscope Dream Miguel Composer, Guitar 2012 The Crossing Sophie B. Hawkins Guitar 2011 Endless Planets Austin Peralta Mixing, producer 2011 Laughing Down Crying Daryl Hall Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Photography, producer 2011 My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) Mary J. Blige Guitar 2010 By Request (album) Paulo Gonzo Guitar 2010 Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 4 Kitaro Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) 2009 Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer 2009 The Collection Whitney Houston Guitar 2009 The Element of Freedom Alicia Keys Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) 2009 The End: A New Beginning John Krondes Guitar (Electric) 2008 Greatest Hits (Steel Box Collection) Cyndi Lauper Main Personnel 2008 Original Album Classics Cyndi Lauper Main Personnel 2007 Jazz Club: Jazz for the Road Guitar (Electric) 2007 Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 3 Kitaro Guitar (Electric) 2006 Fresh and Furious: Hip Hop's Beginning Grandmaster Flash Drum Programming, Guitar 2006 Happy Feet Original Soundtrack Guitar 2006 Reflections (A Retrospective) Mary J. Blige Guitar 2006 Spiritual Garden Kitaro Guitar, Main Personnel 2005 Abdel Wright Abdel Wright Guitar, Main Personnel 2005 Multiplicity Dave Weckl Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist 2005 Robots Original Score John Powell Bagpipes 2005 Sounds of Life: A Musical Journey for Childbirth and Beyond Guitar 2005 The Essential Daryl Hall & John Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer, lyricist 2005 X-Periment/Pleasure Seekers The System Composer, Guitar 2004 Seldom Blues Alexander Zonjic Guest Artist, Guitar, Main Personnel 2004 Ultimate Daryl Hall + John Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer 2003 Do It for Love Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer, Guitar (Acoustic) 2003 Live in Concert Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer 2003 Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Kitaro Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar 2003 Sophistication Grady Nichols Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Main Personnel, Soloist 2002 O2 O-Town Guest Artist, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) 2002 Duboc Carol Duboc Guitar 2002 Groovology Gerald Albright Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric) 2002 VH1 Behind the Music: The Daryl Hall and John Oates Collection Daryl Hall & John Oates Composer 2001 Ballads Mary J. Blige Guitar 2001 Dirty Little Secret Stella Soleil Guest Artist, Guitar 2001 Hypnotic Paul Taylor Guitar, Main Personnel 2001 J.Lo Jennifer Lopez Guitar 2001 Love Session Silk Guest Artist, Guitar 2001 MYOB Deborah Gibson Guitar 2001 The Very Best of Miki Howard Miki Howard Guitar, Main Personnel 2000 Against All Odds Take 5 Guitar 2000 Another Rosie Christmas Rosie O'Donnell Guitar 2000 Love Songs Najee Guitar 2000 Movimiento perpetuo Sentidos Opuestos Guitar 2000 Tamar Tamar Braxton Guitar 2000 X K-Ci & JoJo Guitar 1999 G Gerald Levert Guitar 1999 Mary Mary J. Blige Guitar 1999 On the 6 Jennifer Lopez Guitar 1999 Smoke This Lynch Mob Engineer, Guest Artist, Guitar, Keyboards, producer, Vox Organ 1999 The Game Chico DeBarge Guitar 1999 Tonight Silk Guitar 1998 All the Colors Sonny Southon Guest Artist, Guitar 1998 For Art's Sake Art Porter Jr. Guitar 1998 Pre-Madonna Madonna Guitar 1998 Midnight Jeff Lorber Guitar 1997 Forever More Charito Guitar, Percussion 1997 Marigold Sky Daryl Hall & John Oates Guitar 1996 Billy Mann Billy Mann Guitar (Electric), Sitar 1996 Ladae! Ladae! Guitar 1996 Second Wind Herb Alpert Guest Artist, Guitar 1996 The Craft Guitar 1996 Women: Live from Mountain Stage Guitar, Vocals (Background) 1995 Faith Faith Evans Unknown Contributor Role 1995 Let's Go Bang Jennifer Love Hewitt Guitar (Electric) 1995 Ring Them Bells Joan Baez Dobro, Guitar, Vocals 1995 Roberta Roberta Flack Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) 1995 The Finer Things Steve Winwood Guitar 1995 Your Heart's in Good Hands Al Green Guitar 1994 Always & Forever Eternal Guitar, Sitar 1994 Cindy Mizelle Cindy Mizelle Guitar 1994 My Life Mary J. Blige Guitar 1994 Undercover Art Porter Jr. Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Wah Wah Guitar 1994 Vive en mí Manuel Mijares Guitar 1994 West Side Stories Jeff Lorber Guitar (Rhythm), Wah Wah Guitar 1993 The Colour of My Love Celine Dion Guitar 1993 Music Box Mariah Carey Guitar 1993 21 Really Cool Songs Sugar Beats Musician, Unknown Contributor Role 1993 A Matter of Time Vertical Hold Guitar 1993 L.A. Blues Authority Volume II: Glenn Hughes – Blues Glenn Hughes Guitar 1993 Call Me Nightlife Nokko Guitar 1993 Don't Look Back Al Green Guitar 1993 I'm No Angel Carole Davis Bass, composer, engineer, Guitar, producer, Vocals (Background) 1993 Magical Duos Saxophone 1993 Nick Scotti Nick Scotti Guitar 1993 The Donna Summer Anthology Donna Summer Guitar 1992 Celine Dion Celine Dion Guitar 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Original Soundtrack Guitar, Keyboards 1992 Cool Bob James Guest Artist, Guitar (Rhythm) 1992 Deeper and Deeper Madonna Guitar 1992 Encino Man Original Soundtrack Guitar, Programming 1992 Erotica Madonna Guitar 1992 Exposé Exposé Guitar 1992 Greatest Remixes Vol. 1 Clivillés & Cole Guitar, Vocals 1992 Just an Illusion Najee Guitar 1992 Live Patti Austin Guitar 1992 Pocket City Art Porter Jr. Guitar 1992 Sin Red Valeria Lynch Guitar 1992 Sofia Shinas Sofia Shinas Guitar 1992 Time for Love Freddie Jackson Guitar 1992 Tyler Tyler Collins Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) 1991 Aidalai Mecano Guest Artist 1991 Different Story Deborah Blando Guitar 1991 Emotions Mariah Carey Guitar 1991 Just One Night Samantha Fox Guitar 1991 Mistaken Identity Donna Summer Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) 1991 No More Games/The Remix Album New Kids on the Block Unknown Contributor Role 1991 Ricca Ricca Guitar 1991 Victims Steel Pulse Guitar 1991 What Comes Naturally Sheena Easton Guitar 1990 Mariah Carey Mariah Carey Guitar 1990 Unison Celine Dion Guitar 1990 1990 David Rudder Composer 1990 Contribution Mica Paris Guitar 1990 Gonna Make You Sweat C+C Music Factory Guitar 1990 Make the Difference Tracie Spencer Guitar 1990 Anything Is Possible Debbie Gibson Guitar 1990 Swingin' Dino Guest Artist, Guitar 1990 Wild Orchid Original Soundtrack Associate Producer, composer, producer 1989 24/7 Dino Guitar 1989 A Night to Remember Cyndi Lauper Guitar 1989 Desert Wind Ofra Haza Guitar 1989 Home Stephanie Mills Guitar 1989 Master of the Game James "J.T." Taylor Guitar 1989 Passion in the Heart Shirley Lewis Guitar 1989 Raw Alyson Williams Guest Artist, Guitar 1989 Riverdance Peter Moffitt Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) 1989 So Happy Eddie Murphy Guitar 1988 CK Chaka Khan Guitar 1988 Roll with It Steve Winwood Guitar 1987 Don't Disturb This Groove The System Guest Artist, Guitar 1987 Finer Things in Life Chuck Stanley Guitar 1987 Never Never Land Simon F. Guitar (Electric) 1987 Scars of Love TKA Guitar 1987 The Hunger Michael Bolton Guitar 1987 Whitney Whitney Houston Guitar 1986 Come Share My Love Miki Howard Guitar 1986 Back in the High Life Steve Winwood Guitar 1986 One Step Closer Gavin Christopher Guitar, Keyboards 1986 Destiny Chaka Khan Guitar, Guitar (Electric) 1986 Dial My Number Pauli Carman Guitar 1986 Heartbeat Don Johnson Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) 1986 Hot Together The Pointer Sisters Guitar 1986 Inside Out Philip Bailey Composer 1986 Never Felt So Good James Ingram Guitar 1986 Souvenirs Jenny Burton Guitar 1986 While the City Sleeps... George Benson Guitar 1985 Chillin'''