Omega

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Wilkins’ focussed tone and use of pentatonics reference the work of Kenny Garrett, and this is most apparent on the slowburns of ‘Grace and Mercy’ and ‘Warriors’, the album’s opening track. But... — Jazzwise, October 2020, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 10th Jul 2020
Catalogue No: 0894797
Label: Blue Note
Length: 63 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

14th August 2020

Wilkins, I: Warriors

Work length6:55

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Ferguson - An American Tradition

Work length7:08

$1.10

$1.50

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Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: The Dreamer

Work length3:37

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Mary Turner - An American Tradition

Work length4:22

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Grace And Mercy

Work length6:49

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Part 1. The Key

Work length2:46

$1.10

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Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Part 2. Saudade

Work length7:24

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Part 3. Eulogy

Work length5:52

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Part 4. Guarded Heart

Work length9:41

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

Wilkins, I: Omega

Work length8:47

$1.10

$1.50

$2.05

Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Kweku Sumbry (drums), Daryl Johns (upright bass), Micah Thomas (piano)
Recorded: 2019-01-10
Recording Venue: Sear Sound

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Recording of the Week, Immanuel Wilkins - Omega

14th August 2020

Omega is both a bold and personal statement for the young saxophonist, backed by a trio of accomplished up-and-coming players on his debut record.

Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins delivers an expansive opus about the Black experience in America on his remarkable debut album Omega , which will be released August 7 on Blue Note Records . Omega was produced by Jason Moran and features a next - generation quartet with pianist Micah Thomas , bassist Daryl Johns , and drummer Kweku Sumbry . The first single “Warriors ” is available to stream or download today . With powerful pieces like “Mary Turner - An American Tradition ” and “Ferguson - An American Tradition,” Wilkins wanted to convey the deep pain his people have endured in this country for centuries . That message lands harder in 2020 , as the world struggles through a global pandemic, and cities across America are uprising due to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, three unarmed Black people who died at the hands of whites . The pain is balanced with joy, too, as on the opening track “Warriors,” a bright tune that celebrates the love that’s closest to you . “It’s about friendships, family, your hood, and your community,” Wilkins says . “It’s about us serving as warriors for whatever we believe in . ” “Immanuel has always been leaning forward into the music,” says Moran . “He is a powerful player. He blends traditions in a way that only his generation knows how to do . His band is set to begin a new mode that I look forward to hearing develop . The future of the music rests with these musicians, and I trust their noses .

Reviews

October 2020

Wilkins’ focussed tone and use of pentatonics reference the work of Kenny Garrett, and this is most apparent on the slowburns of ‘Grace and Mercy’ and ‘Warriors’, the album’s opening track. But there is an icy quality to the Wilkins sound which comes from within; smears and slurs add a vocal touch, and on tracks like ‘The Dreamer’, he quietly cossets his notes with warmth.

14th August 2020

With ambitious song structures, virtuosic playing and a solid social statement, Omega certainly makes for an imposing debut record.

Omega

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Recording of the Week, Immanuel Wilkins - Omega

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