Title - Selah
Artist - Jesus Molina
For those unaware, a world-class jazz pianist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and successful online piano tutor, 27-year-old Jesus Molina is a one-man force of nature, a Berklee College of Music grad and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation award winner who has already carved out an impressive career.
His brand-new instrumental album Selah – a blessing meaning “praise” or “lift up” – perfectly captures his spiritual approach to music; 10 songs that soar to celestial heights, featuring Molina on piano and soprano saxophone, fronting a trio including bassist Guy Bernfeld and drummer Cain Daniel, two fellow Berklee alumni.
From the exotic Middle Eastern overture on the opening title track to the climactic “Out of a Dream,” which could be the orchestral end credit score to an epic movie, Selah introduces a major talent who takes cues from such jazz piano greats as Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, Art Tatum, Errol Garner and Bill Evans, but has developed his own style on his new release.
1. Selah
2. Dear Fall (featuring Hubert Laws)
3. Soul Journey (featuring Noel Schajris)
4. Melody (featuring Lucia Micarelli)
5. Pichi
6. Quintuplets
7. Blue New Year (featuring Lucia Micarelli)
8. Kadoshin
9. Caf
10. Out of a Dream
This enticingly mesmerizing new album opens on the tranfixing Selah and the drum-led vibrancy of Dear Fall (featuring Hubert Laws) and then we get the low slung Soul Journey (featuring Noel Schajris), the classically-hued elegance of Melody (featuring Lucia Micarelli) and the playfully sprightly Pichi.
Along next is the veritably shimmering Quintuplets and the evoking Blue New Year (featuring Lucia Micarelli), and they are in turn backed by the delicately sculpted Kadoshin, the recording rounding out on the unexpected synth-driven work of musical art, Caf, closing on the laid back nature within Out of a Dream.
Selah is a musical blessing, a sacred symphony to transport this troubled world into a more joyful space. The world is about to discover Jesus Molina for themselves.
Selah will be released on vinyl, CD and streaming on May 24th via Argentine/Mexican musician Noel Schajris’ independent label Dynamo Productions.
www.jesusmolina.org