Immanuel Wilkins may be only in his 20s, but he has already worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Wynton Marsalis, and Solange Knowles. This Philadelphia-born and Brooklyn-based young talent is “one of the most compelling instrumentalists in improvised music” according to NPR jazz writer Nate Chinen. After his compelling solo work Omega, in 2022 Wilkins put out his album The 7th Hand under the Blue Note label. In it, he and his orchestra sought to create a collective narrative that would probe the relationship between “presence” and “nothingness.” These mind-opening compositions include space and emptiness as a central part of their project. The album’s multiple-layered melodies and haunting movements take the listener on an auditory journey. Most recently, the Immanuel Wilkins Trio released a unique version of “Avalanche” on the album Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen. They will be performing at Babylon on October 4.
Immanuel Wilkins: Saxophone
Micah Thomas: Piano
Kweku Sumbre: Drums