Immanuel Wilkins:
Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins burst onto the musical scene in 2020 with the release of his Blue Note recording debut, Omega, featuring his longstanding quartet. Although just 22 at the time of its release, his quartet had already been together for over four years, and their cohesiveness and musicality are reflected in both the maturity of Wilkins’ sound and the sophistication and depth of his compositions. Accolades and press soon followed, including Omega being named the best new jazz release of 2020 by the New York Times, the best debut jazz album by NPR, and being nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz Recording of 2020.

In 2022, Wilkins released his sophomore album on Blue Note, The 7th Hand. Like his debut, The 7th Hand topped numerous year-end lists including Jazzwise, NPR, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and Jazz Times. 2022 also opened new touring opportunities for Wilkins’ Quartet. They toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including notable performances at the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Umbria, North Sea, Pori Jazz, Newport, The Kennedy Center, The Library of Congress, SFJazz, and the Elbphilharmonie.

In 2023, Wilkins was awarded three Downbeat Critics Poll Awards: Best Alto Saxophonist, Best Rising Star Composer, and Best Rising Star Group. In 2024, his quartet won the prize for Best International Live Act of the Year by the German Deutscher Jazz Preis. On October 11, 2024, Wilkins released his third recording on Blue Note: Blues Blood.