Grammy-nominated alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins has announced the upcoming release of his first-ever live album, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard. This searing three-volume document captures one of modern jazz’s most acclaimed quartets in peak form at New York City’s most hallowed jazz shrine.
Released via the legendary Blue Note Records, the project will be rolled out in stages. Vol. 1 arrives on March 20, 2026, across LP, CD, and digital formats, followed by the digital releases of Vol. 2 on April 17 and Vol. 3 on May 15. The announcement is accompanied by the first single, a stirring, devotional rendition of Alice Coltrane’s "CHARANAM."
The album captures Wilkins alongside his longtime collaborators—pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Ryoma Takenaga, and drummer Kweku Sumbry—as they take flight on expansive explorations of Wilkins’ original compositions. By recording at the Village Vanguard, Wilkins joins an illustrious lineage of jazz titans, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Bill Evans, who have used the venue’s unique acoustics to create definitive live recordings.
In the album’s liner notes, Tina M. Campt describes the recording as a "bold endeavor to summon the Vanguard’s sonic history." She notes that the venue holds "cumulative layers of musical genius," which Wilkins reactivates through what he defines as practice—a ritual of improvisational sounding and congregational listening. The result is a performance that feels both deeply rooted in tradition and breathlessly contemporary.
The three volumes offer a comprehensive look at the quartet’s range, from the high-intensity "WARRIORS" on Volume 1 to the sprawling "PUT 100 ON THE BLUE CHAIN" that closes Volume 3. Already hailed by The Observer as a "lustrous talent" and by MOJO for producing "contemporary jazz at its most thrilling," Wilkins’ live debut is set to be a landmark release for 2026.
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