If talent was measured by the pound then Attila Molnar would be a heavyweight. Indeed, ever since his switch from the renaissance splendour of Budapest to the urban intensity of Washington DC, the stature of this Hungarian born writer, producer and keyboard player has continued to rise. Driven by an all consuming passion for making music, his story is one of which dreams are made, and now as a ‘go to’ side man, an acclaimed composer and an outstanding solo performer, Attila Molnar stands on the brink of something special. Sometimes soulful, often funky, but invariably jazzy, his music has been compared to the likes of Shakatak and Joe Sample, while Trish Hennessey of WHFC 91.1 recently described him as possessing “an elegant exuberance with an echo of the past and a glimpse into the future”. Elsewhere, smooth jazz journalist of the year nominee Denis Poole commented that Molnar is “an accomplished writer and producer whose distinctive style of smooth jazz is replete with intoxicating rhythms and gorgeous melodies.” All this seems a far cry from the day in 1997 when Molnar first arrived in North America. Prior to this, Attila had graduated as a jazz pianist and moved to the Hungarian capital where, for two years, he worked with the four piece collective Happy Family. The band backed the well known Hungarian pop singer Zambo Jimmy but in 1992, with his ambition already burgeoning, Attila formed his own group. They performed at the prestigious Rendezvous club and supported many artists, including the famous pop-soul vocalist Cserhati Zsuzsa. This notwithstanding, without a green card, there was no prospect of him ever working as a professional musician in the USA. Not deterred, and with a work ethic that has served him well, he applied for a position as a supervisor which included sponsorship toward gaining residents status. In the event it took eight more years to attain that all important right to perform but by then he was already well connected on the DC music scene. In 2005, Attila formed a powerful liaison with rising sax star Jaared. He remains an integral part of Jaared’s touring line-up and has also enjoyed a spell as keyboard player for Slim Man. Attila has subsequently shared the stage with the likes of U-Nam, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, and Marion Meadows, but it is as a solo artist that he is really garnering critical acclaim. In February 2010, he performed his own show to an enthusiastic audience at the Dubai International Jazz Festival, yet there is little doubt that for Attila Molnar, the best is still to come. His debut solo recording, ‘Dreams’, was released in 2009 and, although this tight twelve track collection included eleven original Molnar compositions, it is now set to get even better. Attila has taken the decision to revisit the majority of the tracks, have them remixed, and use more live instruments. In so doing, he is creating a more overtly smooth jazz vibe for which he also intends to bring in several guest artists. However, there will be more to the new-look ‘Dreams’ than simply remixing. Since the album was released, Molnar has been writing continuously and now has a whole raft of available new music. Consequently, two of these new tracks will be added to the latest version. In fact, his aspirations now extend to an all-new album for the fall of 2011, and a ‘Christmas’ project, which is already “in the works. For most musicians that would be more than enough, but then again, Attila Molnar is not most musicians. He has long enjoyed a fascination with the movie soundtrack as an art form, and growing up in Hungary was trained in modern classical music. Attila is a long-time admirer of the composer John Williams, and considers the whole process of matching a film with the music that supports it to be absolutely crucial. He is now actively writing with movies in mind, and exploring ways in which to reach out to those in the film industry who potentially may find a fit with what creatively he has to offer. Clearly this is a space that must be watched, but for now the musical magic of Attila Molnar can best be described in his own words. “Ever since I was a kid in Hungary, music has been playing in my head. Rhythms, melodies, and the tunes they combine to create. It’s not about playing hundreds of notes per second. I want to make every note I play meaningful. I always write from the heart and want my music to reach out to the hearts of those who hear it. Now is the time to bring that music out into the open, so that it can be heard, so that people can enjoy it.” For music lovers everywhere, that can only be a very good thing. - Denis Poole ‘Smooth Jazz Journalist of the Year’ nominee American Smooth Jazz Awards - 2010 Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.