Immanuel Wilkins Quartet

When Immanuel Wilkins released his début album 'Omega’ on Blue Note Records (!) three years ago, there was an immediate consensus: this young saxophonist is a legend in the making. The New York Times hailed the album as the best jazz album of 2020, Pitchfork spoke of a robust foundation for a huge future. These are references that can take a person to extraordinary places. The various descriptions sounded similar to the discovery of Kamasi Washington a few years ago. In terms of approach, the two are quite similar; just like Washington, Wilkins opts for an 'epic’ method. But enough comparisons; the uniqueness of the saxophonist born and raised in Philadelphia is immediately clear from the very first listen.

The tangible connection between Wilkins and his band members is also instantly clear. The quartet, completed by pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Kweku Sumbry, confirmed this connection in 2022 with 'The 7th Hand’. It is sometimes said that a second record, whether it makes or breaks the artist, is the hardest to create but this doesn't seem to have been the case for Wilkins. 'The 7th Hand’ is an epic concept record that celebrates blackness, places religion front and centre, and has both grand but also intimate moments. It is jazz that doesn't hide its references to blues and which also throws a little gospel into the mix. It is jazz that speaks without words, that is intellectual enough to trigger aficionados while also being perfectly accessible to regular fans. Don’t miss out on one of the future greatest - he is 'one of the greats’ already.

Line-up:

Immanuel Wilkins - sax
Micah Thomas - piano
Matt Brewer - bass
Kweku Sumbry - drum