 The New York Times ranks the album by Upper Darby School District alum Immanuel Wilkins #1 Jazz Album of 2020! |
1. Immanuel Wilkins, ‘Omega’
On his debut, the 23-year-old alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins announces himself with a suite of 10 compositions that move with such grace, there’s no time to feel overwhelmed by the surfeit of ideas packed into each one. Produced by Jason Moran, “Omega” features Mr. Wilkins’s working quartet of Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass and Kweku Sumbry on drums, gliding and diving with a telepathic synergy through tunes that he composed with the nation’s racial ills in mind, and that thrive thanks to a buoyant, up-to-date sense of swing.
See former UDSD Superintendent Lou DeVlieger’s article about UDSD alum Immanuel Wilkins in the Daily Times: By Lou DeVlieger, Special to the Times | December 13, 2020—
Upper Darby School District alum, Immanuel Wilkins’ Omega has captured the #1 ranking for the Best Jazz Albums of 2020 by the New York Times. This debut record on the prestigious Blue Note Record label has been described by the New York Times as “… ten compositions that move with such grace, there’s no time to feel overwhelmed by the surfeit of ideas packed into each one.”
Wilkins, 23, said that he wanted to craft something that spoke directly to the Black experience in America. With his own quartet of piano, bass, and drums, the alto saxophonist tries to capture the many emotions over the senseless loss of black lives in this country in compositions “Ferguson – An American Tradition” and “Mary Turner – An American Tradition.” A soothing song, “The Dreamer,” honors the life of Black author, teacher, and activist James Weldon Johnson. “Warriors” is an upbeat tune that Wilkins describes as being about “friendships, family, your hood, and your community. It’s about us serving as warriors for whatever we believe in.”
Inspiring!