Immanuel Wilkins From Alpha to Omega

To be 22 and have your debut album called “the most important debut jazz recording in years” (JazzTimes); that it “ushers in a new generation of artists and attitudes” (Jazz Weekly) and to have your playing referred to as “at once dazzlingly solid and perfectly lithe” (New York Times) would have to be a heady experience. But for jazz saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins, he takes it all in stride with humility and wisdom that seems well beyond his age.

It could be said that both his compositions and the way Wilkins performs are also way beyond his years. That was my impression when listening to his Blue Note Records debut, Omega, produced by Jason Moran. Amongst the ten tracks on the record are compositions addressing the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson; the 1918 lynching of Mary Turner and a four-part suite that addresses an on-again/off-again relationship.

It was also my impression when speaking with him recently by phone about Omega, working with Moran and about the jazz giants on whose shoulders he certainly stands. Here are excerpts from that conversation that have been edited for clarity and length.

You are quoted in the bio from Blue Note as stating that “Ferguson” and “Mary Turner” are both “American traditions in a way.” (Each song has “An American Tradition” as part of its title.) Do you see anything going on in America to indicate that these traditions will soon become relics of history?

I think it is too early to tell. I am an optimist, but I think when we look at history and how things have transpired, the one thing I’m grateful for – and I have a lot of hope in – is I feel my generation of young people, thinkers, artists, activists and intellectuals in my generation and generations surrounding my own, I feel we do have the power to change things and I think we have the wherewithal and mind set to do so. I do have a lot of faith in my generation. It’s going to take a lot of work for things to change.

What role can music, specifically your music, play in motivating personal and substantive change?

First I’ll say that my kind of artistic vision, in a way, is pretty selfish. I write music for myself, for my own pleasure or my own feelings in a way. I’m also writing certain music as research or awareness to certain things. As artists it’s our job to document the times and kind of take heed of what’s going on in the world and comment on it – whether that’s a reaction to it, or against it. I hope this record sounds like a soundtrack for 2020 in a way.

As you recently found out in the August 7th New York Times listing of songs to listen to, the soundtrack of 2020 not only includes your music, but also the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion hit song WAP.

(He laughs before responding.) That’s the great thing about what we’re doing. It’s all music and it’s all going in one place. Here’s the thing, some of my friends are buying the record who don’t listen to jazz to support. I end up being in the same playlist as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion – the new Kanye. It’s interesting seeing how people kind of consume music. Music is generally consumed while doing something else – usually something mundane. A big thing I wanted to do was create music that radically grabs the listener in ways to stop what they are doing and command their attention.

Before producing Omega, you played with Jason Moran. How did having him produce your album influence the end product?

He was super instrumental. As a band we’d been playing together for 2-3 years, so I didn’t want someone to come in and strong-arm the situation. I trusted him with the music. He acted where he needed to and let us do our thing when we needed to. Jason is an interesting thinker because he’s always thinking about the upside down way of things. It’s a super unique perspective. It was nice to have someone like that in the studio.

Earlier this year I spoke to Jason who told me that young musicians in their 20s have to be aware of things like the environment, mass incarceration, gender equality and more. He said, “I love that because I think people are more awake and that makes the work harder. It doesn’t make it better necessarily, but it makes them learn and their audience grow.” Do you share that philosophy with Jason?

We need to be aware of everything going on to have more vantage points the music. Not just in music. We’re artists, but we’re humans. We’re creative people who have some sort of influence on society. I think it’s important we are always aware of the full spectrum and broaden our vantage point.

Releasing Omega during the Covid pandemic means you can’t tour to support the album and create awareness. How do you feel about the timing of the album’s release?

I wrestle with it. I think that people need to hear it live. The band is a live band. It’s definitely something that should be played live and it would have been nice to have a proper release concert. That was a little selfish of me. Once we were approaching the date, people are hungry for the music right now. Whether that’s social justice or Covid, our duty as artists is to serve the people and meet them where they are. I’m happy with the outpouring of support for the album. I hope it provides some sort of enjoyment and clarity for the times.

You’re from the Philadelphia area and have spoken about the mystique of the John Coltrane House there. Given your faith you seem to share some qualities with Coltrane who said, “My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being…When you see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups…I want to speak to their souls.” Does his thinking reflect the way you think about music yourself?

That quote is very special to me. Trane’s ideology and his views are very much a part of me as an artist and me as a person. I’m really inspired by his pursuit of life. He had a serious amount of humility, compassion and was blessed with spirit as a person. You could tell it from his family, from interviews and from people talking about him. For me it was something I realized early on listening to him play. How could someone play so many notes and play for so long and so intense? Somehow it sounds completely intersected and in servitude to the music. It doesn’t sound self-fulfilling.

I was so inspired, but why is there something missing in my playing? What’s the difference when I play the same amount of notes? It’s a spiritual thing. It’s a humility thing. It took me digging deeper into my spiritual pursuits. I think that was what really inspired me with John Coltrane was he had a similar situation in that our music was at the intersection of black consciousness, identity and spirituality. He was immediately the blueprint for me musically and spiritually. He’s about doing it all. That really inspired me.

Photo of Immanuel Wilkins by Dana Scruggs/Courtesy of Blue Note Records