Immanuel Wilkins live at PhilaMOCA | JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA

Coming up in the Philadelphia area, Immanuel Wilkins got his musical training not only in jazz circles but also at the Prayer Chapel Church of God, where he played piano. The active feedback loop of a worship service, with its pulsating cycles of call and response, remained a vivid sense memory for Wilkins as he moved on to some elite institutions - notably the Juilliard School, from which he graduated in 2019, and Blue Note Records, which released his debut album, Omega, the following year.
The 7th Hand, his second album for the label, synthesizes lessons learned at the altar and on the bandstand, with a keen awareness of African American cultural history. “I was thinking a lot about being a vessel,” Wilkins told Shaun Brady of the Philadelphia Inquirer several days before this album-release concert in his hometown. “About getting into a super Zen space where it feels like you’re not the one making the music. I wanted to write a body of work that triggered that experience.”
Working with his superbly intuitive band - Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, Kweku Sumbry on drums - Wilkins delivered on that promise at PhilaMOCA late last month. Presented by Ars Nova Workshop in partnership with WRTI, the concert felt like a breathless outpouring, balanced on a pivot point of surrender and control. This 35-minute window onto the performance captures several highlights: the deep sway of “Don’t Break,” propelled by Sumbry’s assured polyrhythms; the imploring gospel tonalities of “Fugitive Ritual, Selah,” which elicits a brilliantly paced solo by Thomas; the ferocious intensity of “Lighthouse,” which finds Wilkins steering his band through dark, choppy seas.
Wilkins has created a work of sustained power in The 7th Hand, using methods ranging from classical motivic development to the ecstatic cry of the Pentecostal church. What grounds the entire piece is a sworn commitment to the present moment, with an unspoken conviction that some truth will come flowing through.
To learn more about Wilkins, listen to our radio episode on him, part of our Youngbloods series: www.npr.org/2022/09/29/112589...
SET LIST: All songs by Immanuel Wilkins
00:08 Don’t Break
07:02 Fugitive Ritual, Selah
21:41 Lighthouse
MUSICIANS:
Immanuel Wilkins, alto sax
Micah Thomas, piano
Daryl Johns, Bass
Kweku Sumbry, drums
Head to the Jazz Night in America homepage for more episodes, including our weekly radio show, full-length concert films and short video documentaries: www.npr.org/jazznight
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[@adrianjohnson2874]

This brother is on the rise. His new Blue Note album 7th Hand is a must listen! He speaks in the same language of his jazz ancestors (Jackie McLean, Charles Lloyd, etc.) The future of jazz is in safe and secure hands with Immanuel Wilkins.

[@tylerblake3596]

The chemistry of this group is incredible. Some of their moments just create what feels like a shockwave coming off the bandstand. One of my favorites for sure

[@richardrickford3028]

This music has a wonderful graceful attitude. Had not heard of them before and very glad I now have.

[@andrzejszymanski3022]

I was on his concert in Wrocław (14. Sep 2022; Poland). The incredible evening! Immanuel and his band were excellent!

[@kuick6814]

honestly beautiful. really shows the power of music

[@longcastle4863]

Groovy rythm section. Great sax. That piano just sprinkling in here and there. And the drums rolling around in the open spaces with that bass...

[@vibist]

Really cohesive band. Great musicians and superb compositions. Thank you Immanuel for your contribution to the Jazz legacy.

[@davidwalsh8058]

So lyrical.. Mr Wilkens I like a lot . that bass player ..oh yes . whole combo fabulous !

[@Gusrikh1]

Brilliant writing!!! Almost bordering on atonality, yet very, very melodic. I’m a musician.. and a diehard fan..

[@CoffeeRelaxingJazzy]

Very good,feel good music. Makes me want to get up and dance to the tunes.

[@quintellatv9049]

Immanuel Wilkins is the "main sax player" of this New generation. (2020's)

[@Mikejas_]

This!!!

[@cjbcross]

Player AND composer - these tunes are complex, modern and beautiful...been listening to him a lot. His creativity is inspiring!

[@src9691]

Grew up on Phil Woods, Cannonball, and Kenny Garrett, and couldn't agree more. Braxton Cook and Immanuel Wilkins have been the two I've been listening to the most.

[@outoper]

I was about to say that.

[@k.p.bolden7329]

Immanuel Wilkins (Sax) Daryl Jones (Bass) Kweku Sumbry (Drums) Micah Thomas (Piano)

[@robmilnejazz]

Absolutely incredible group

[@xiaozhouchen4122]

this is why i study jazz

[@sevildrib]

It's great to hear new jazz compositions played with such careful arrangement. Cool, soulful and contemporary with great use of dynamics and space in a high quality ensemble sound that reminds of the Miles Davis groups with Wayne Shorter. Immanuel Wilkins' alto evoked a Sonny Criss subtle intensity and tone with just a little undercurrent of Arthur Blythe. A very high quality group non the worse for Covid and clearly at a career high point.

[@rbsprods3200]

Great music, great musicians. Immanuel vaulted up in 2023 to the top of the International Jazz Critic Poll. Impressive!

[@nora1172]

👌😁Uplifting room making space when I hear this!

[@chidiebereogbuchi]

Kudos to that Bass player for holding his own 🔥 🔥

[@CharlesJGreenberg]

I recently saw the quartet at the Clifford Brown Jazz Fesitval. As a working band, they were very cohesive, even on a very windy day. This is jazz that is fresh and different every night.

[@thatomothothi8874]

I discovered him on True Design by Giveton Gelin. Amazing Saxophonist. The Worshipper is my absolute favourite. ❤️

[@seanbrianmcdonald]

Really loved this set, beautiful playing by everyone.

[@NikusanMusicChannel]

Wonderful~Love it💖

[@SuazoJazz1]

This is Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@bernarddaigle2830]

Beautiful playing, writing and concept. I love how you coax all the different tone colors out of your horn. Greetings from Montreal.

[@soundingrooves]

Just amazing! I’m in love with the new album

[@diogolozza]

Beautiful sound brother!

[@SidLaw500]

This is top shelf stuff.

[@googlywoogly7294]

Incredible!

[@rodgerbrunning3383]

SO GOOD

[@Keef19661]

magic! волшебство! greetings from Russia

[@tuberecordingstudio]

Great!

[@dinoel94]

Relaaaaax

[@nicklarsenjazz]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@JazznRealHipHop]

Well then 🤯😮💟👏👏👏👏👏

[@FreeLoveMeditation-5555]

Beautiful 🎶♥️🌺👏🏼

[@alcom3101]

BONHEUR🎧🌌🔬🙏

[@ellencantarow5160]

It was Miles Davis who said that to Coltrane. A good model for the brilliant use of silence was Don Cherry.

[@Zacharysandilands]

yeeeeesss

[@ellencantarow5160]

Yes, he could definitely be a keeper of the tradition. I’m still reserving judgement about the pianist.

[@adamczerepinski]

Immanuel might have my favorite tone on the alto since Kenny.

[@src9691]

Yep. Same here. Oatts (Selah) meets Garrett. His sound has the dry soul and that somewhat rare ability to resonate the whole horn at oddly infrequent or inconsistent hits. Those resonations are haunting.

[@src9691]

He's almost got a Braxton Cook meets Kenny Garrett sound, honestly.

[@Neptune1336]

I could listen to this coffee jazz music while doing some light yoga and feel completely zen

[@dennysaputra3238]

💯🎉

[@jonpiers2325]

this is electric

[@ragiptautama8932]

cool

[@TheDragonViking]

Omg

[@FedUpSista]

all right now

[@euclid1618]

apprec the patience

[@ellencantarow5160]

On the second piece he exhibits the tendency that made another musician tell Coltrane, “Just take the horn out of your mouth!” I mean, this is warp-speed fast but he’s gilding the lily.

[@almendratlilkouatl]

Encias Sangrantes?

[@zaidanaldzakir2008]

Aqiss And Family 👼👼

[@djgromivanov6674]

🐱‍🏍🐱‍👤🐬✨🌹

[@ellencantarow5160]

I’m 82 and I have heard them all. In addition I studied with the great multi-reed player Makanda Ken McIntyre. I thought this brother was just another of the young pyrotechnical-no-soul players but I’m changing my mind. His pianist could do with not showing off his own technique so much. Less is better. Viz Don Cherry. Silences in jazz are golden.

[@ronsax4820]

Who's the Mick Jagger looking dude on Bass?

[@Zacharysandilands]

Daryl Johns. One of the meanest dudes on the scene rn

[@ilias7613]

This guy is great and he also needs new glasses

[@DaleBYUN]

12:58

[@user-kv8hy7tn1h]

ちゃんとジャズの音してますね？www日本にはこういう音出せる人居ないですwww

[@anaphylastiks]

Some of the better jazz. Jazz music is strange, seems almost like classical training where robotic composition cant be ridded from the minds.

[@rinahall]

100% boring

[@spades5219]

Goofball

[@jaz930930]

Buy some glasses that fit

[@myroncohen7619]

Brilliant and searching..from out of the Sanctified Church..It is being presented as an honorable and uplifting offering to all who are blessed to hear and respond to this message..m

[@rinahall]

@@myroncohen7619 lol

[@rinahall]

@@jaz930930 you too

[@Selmerpilot]

What happened to lyrical and beautiful alto playing? Can no one do this any longer? Plenty of tenor players do, but alto is far more challenging to get right as tonal centers on alto are far less user-friendly and more unforgiving as a result than tenor. This take on the alto is not new, it simply furthers the dumpster fire Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy started, rather than carry on the intense and genius constructions of Bird, Phil Woods, and of course Cannonball Adderley. Cheers

[@obakobina]

this is lyrical sax playing , its just matter of taste

[@rinahall]

@Ali Elijah Emmanuel Mache allah toussa sai marké dan le sain coran allaouakbare mohmed rassoulalal bisse mila lislam la maiyeure reulijion inche a la

[@tylerblake3596]

Did you miss the whole second tune?

[@postatility9703]

But,you are overlooking one extremely important element of Ornette,Dolphy and other major figures in the modern advancement of the alto in this music.Well,two actually. The Blues sensibility, and the element of humor that came with it.Wilkins is obviously an accomplished player,and although he has a very heartfelt, spiritual approach to playing,the lack of humor ultimately leads to a great deal of tedium.

[@dontgetsentalink]

this shows how little and ignorant you are about music, study more before you speak

[@zaidanaldzakir2008]

@rekaputri .official 🎸🎷🎹🎧