April 17, 2026
GRAMMY-nominated alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins has released Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard, Vol. 2, the second installment of a searing 3-volume document of his acclaimed quartet in action at the hallowed NYC jazz shrine. Vol. 1 was released last month on LP, CD, and digital formats. Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 (out May 15) are digital-only releases.
The albums capture Wilkins’ quartet featuring Micah Thomas on piano, Ryoma Takenaga on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums taking flight on expansive explorations of Wilkins originals, and one Alice Coltrane composition, in a room steeped in jazz lore. Wilkins indelibly etches his name onto the list of jazz greats who have made seminal live recordings within these same walls.
“Live at the Village Vanguard is a bold endeavor to summon the Vanguard’s sonic history and make it audible,” writes Tina M. Campt in the Vol. 1 liner notes. “It harnesses this legacy and reactivates it as what he defines as practice – a practice of improvisational sounding, congregational listening, and devotional ritual.”
The track listing for Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard is as follows:
Vol. 1
- “WARRIORS”
- “COMPOSITION II”
- “CHARANAM”
- “ETERNAL”
Vol. 2
- “THE BIG COUNTRY”
- “WAITING PT. 1”
- “CITRINE”
- “GRACE AND MERCY”
- “GO ‘HEAD GET DOWN”
Vol. 3
- “RING SHOUT”
- “COMPOSITION IX”
- “DOLLA$”
- “PUT 100 ON THE BLUE CHAIN”
The quartet recently performed a stirring NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring pieces from Wilkins’ albums The 7th Hand, Blues Blood, and Live At The Village Vanguard, Vol. 2. “Always inspirational, the music of saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins is also heavy and thought provoking,” wrote NPR. “In the harmonic tension of his music you can hear sepia tones of the Black experience — an ancient and modern struggle told through melody and overlaid with hope. Complex time signatures swing and sway with spiritual incantations that instill reflection and peace.”
