Maria Jacobs has released “My God Is Here” to radio, following the recent chart success of her previous single, “We Are Lifted Up.”
Jacobs wrote the song, which was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Pete Tokar. The recording blends soft pop, inspirational music and elements of Jacobs’ jazz background.
“My God Is Here” grew from Jacobs’ experiences with grief, fear and other difficult seasons. The song centers on the assurance that God remains present even when circumstances feel uncertain.
“My God is here, He wipes away my tears, and every burden leaves.”
The single appears on Jacobs’ album Perfect Is Your Will. Her previous release from the project, “We Are Lifted Up,” reached No. 1 on the Christian Radio Chart for the week of May 25, according to the announcement.
Jacobs was raised in Cleveland and later spent more than a decade performing and recording in Los Angeles. Her collaborators have included keyboardist Tommy Coster, bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ndugu Chancler.
After returning to Cleveland, she began working with Tokar on a series of recordings that included Perfect Is Your Will.
Jacobs’ career has crossed jazz, pop and gospel. She has appeared as a featured soloist in Wynton Marsalis’ Abyssinian Mass under the direction of Damien Sneed and has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus at Severance Hall.
She has also opened for Chuck Mangione, Bob Dorough, Average White Band and Loose Ends.
In addition to performing and recording, Jacobs is a licensed music educator and serves as a professor of vocal jazz at Kent State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the university.
Jacobs has released 10 solo albums and written more than 150 compositions. Her live album, Back at the Bop Stop, and Perfect Is Your Will were submitted for Grammy consideration in jazz vocal and contemporary music categories, respectively.