Sep 29, 2026 3:53 PM
Immanuel Wilkins Wins MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant
Immanuel Wilkins, an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and Blue Note recording artist based in Brooklyn, New York,…
Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins has been named a 2026 MacArthur fellow.
Sep 29, 2026 3:53 PM
Immanuel Wilkins, an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and Blue Note recording artist based in Brooklyn, New York,…
Walter Smith III joins a lofty group of new releases from Blue Note that includes recordings from Ron Carter, Bill Frisell and Immanuel Wilkins.
Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
Jazz and gospel are close blood relations. And fortunately, those Saturday night and Sunday morning worlds sometimes…
Isaiah Collier, the critics’ choice for Rising Star Group of the Year, Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist of the Year and Rising Star Flutist of the Year.
Jul 17, 2025 2:34 PM
We asked our participating critics to elaborate on several of this year’s honorees in the 73rd Annual DownBeat Critics…
Out of/Into: Matt Brewer (left), Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and Gerald Clayton.
Feb 11, 2025 12:19 PM
EastWest Studios, a state-of-the-art, multi-roomed recording facility on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, has…
“What happens when we put special people with other special people?” asks Immanuel Wilkins, who seeks to cross-pollinate the arts.
Sep 17, 2024 4:11 PM
After bursting onto the scene with his acclaimed 2020 debut, Omega, Immanuel Wilkins announced his arrival as a talent…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 1:20 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
The Blue Note Quintet includes Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and Matt Brewer. The all-star collective embarks on a North American tour this month.
Jan 9, 2024 12:54 PM
The Blue Note Quintet, an all-star collective of Blue Note recording artists, will embark on an extensive North American…
“My work is the intersection between spiritual practice and Black aesthetics,” said Wilkins. “The two symbols I draw from are John Coltrane and the Black church.”
Jul 27, 2023 2:30 PM
It was clear from the opening track of Immanuel Wilkins’ stunning sophomore outing for Blue Note, The 7th Hand, that…
Jul 27, 2023 4:08 PM
To see the complete Critics Poll results, just click on the August 2023 issue cover image below. With 1,251 listings,…
“We’re sacrificing our bodies to innate feeling and becoming vessels for this music,” Wilkins says.
Mar 29, 2022 2:21 PM
“My work is the intersection between spiritual practice and Black aesthetics,” Immanuel Wilkins says. “The two…
Some of the acts appearing at Big Ears 2022, clockwise from top left: John Medeski, Yasmin Williams, Julian Lage, Ben Lamar Gay, Maeve Gilchrist George and Claire Rousay.
Jan 18, 2022 12:44 PM
Big Ears 2022 will take place live in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, March 24–27, according to festival organizers.…
Gerald Clayton directs the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
Oct 19, 2021 2:08 PM
Though reduced to just a third of its usual capacity, the 64th Monterey Jazz Festival (Sept. 24–26) somehow pushed all…
Jamaaladeen Tacuma, one of 52 grant recipients, received $40,000 to return to his hometown in North Carolina and create a music work space .
Oct 19, 2021 3:41 PM
South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization, awarded $2 million in grants in October to support jazz musicians…
The crowds were as welcome a sight as the diverse lineup of artists who appeared on the 19th annual D.C. Jazz Festival’s multiple stages.
Sep 14, 2021 1:02 PM
It was weeks off its usual schedule, cut back to a single weekend, yet the D.C. Jazz Festival, which held its 19th…
Gerald Clayton was named Rising Star Artist of the Year and his trio won Rising Star Jazz Group.
Aug 24, 2021 2:34 PM
Editor’s Note: This article was written to commemorate some of the Rising Star winners in DownBeat’s 69th Annual…
Galactic will headline the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival.
Jul 13, 2021 4:21 PM
The jazz festival season for 2021 has certainly been a moving target, mostly for the good. With a host of late-breaking…
The Monterey Jazz Festival, one of many reopening for late summer.
Jun 15, 2021 11:43 AM
In what has to be billed as the great jazz reopening, festivals are coming back online, many with late-breaking plans…
The Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: bassist Daryl Johns (left), drummer Kweku Sumbry, Wilkins on saxophone and pianist Micah Thomas
Jun 1, 2021 11:47 AM
This week’s streaming highlights include the 2021 Virtual Blues Music Awards with Shemekia Copeland leading the charge…
Reedist Roscoe Mitchell is set to stream a performance Wednesday as part of the Hot House Meets Havana festival.
Jan 18, 2021 10:32 AM
As performers look to replace income from lost gigs and regain a sense of community amid the coronavirus pandemic, a…
Regina Carter is set to explore the legacy of Ella Fitzgerald on Tuesday.
Jan 15, 2021 10:25 AM
As performers look to replace income from lost gigs and regain a sense of community amid the coronavirus pandemic, a…
Alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins’ debut album is titled Omega.
Dec 21, 2020 11:20 AM
Immanuel Wilkins’ debut album, Omega (Blue Note), marks the emergence of a talented young instrumentalist, composer…
