Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, 23, honed his skills in the church and studied in programs dedicated to teaching jazz music like the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts. Moving to New York in 2015, Immanuel proceeded to earn his bachelor’s degree in Music at Juilliard (studying with the saxophonists Bruce Williams and the late Joe Temperley) while touring internationally and simultaneously establishing himself as an in-demand sideman, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He has worked and/or recorded with artists such as Jason Moran, the Count Basie Orchestra, Delfeayo Marsalis, Joel Ross, Aaron Parks, Gerald Clayton, Gretchen Parlato, Lalah Hathaway, Solange Knowles, Bob Dylan, and Wynton Marsalis to name just a few.
His quartet is composed of his long-time bandmates — Micah Thomas (piano), Daryl Johns (bass) and Kweku Sumbry (drums) — and are featured on his debut recording, “Omega” — hailed by the New York Times as the Best Jazz Album of 2020.
Wilkins recently told Jazz Philadelphia how he plans to give back to the Philadelphia Jazz community.
“I am finding myself in a position where the tables are slowly turning,” said Wilkins. “There was a point where I knew all the young kids from Philly because they were my peers, and now they’re starting to become a younger generation of folks that look up to me, so it has been a nice opportunity for me to give back in that way and, and do what I can to help, although, at this point, it’s just me pointing them to older folks, telling them, ‘Y’all need to be checking out these cats.'”