Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard

The prodigious Immanuel Wilkins has just released the third volume of his Blue Note trilogy - ‘Live at the Village Vanguard’. And it’s brilliant.

Wilkins’ first ever live release features his quartet at the shrine to New York jazz. Taking the stand with his quartet - Micah Thomas (piano), Ryoma Takenaga (bass) and Kweku Sumbry (drums) - he absolutely shines through every note, every bar and every tune.

The three albums together constitute some of the best contemporary jazz around and this final volume has an ease that combines with these four musicians at the top of their game. Ring Shout begins with Sumbry’s drums creating a complex groove picked up by piano and bass until Wilkins joins with the melody. There’s something about his alto sax sound that could only come from New York City and there is a brilliant subtlety to every note and inflection. The tune heats up into improvisation as the notes proliferate, but never in a showy way.

Composition IX is a more virtuosic display from the opening bars and the quartet roasts through the tune. As the frenetic virtuosity intensifies, the tune evolves into a bebop outpouring that still has more to express until it ends as suddenly as it began.

Next up is the smooth DOLLA$, which allows Wilkins’ sax space to expand his solo in a series of beautifully melodic phrases. Features and solos from the other members of the quartet are never far behind and Wilkins eases back in each time.

The final track on this trilogy is Put 100 on the Blue Chain and it really is a gorgeous contemporary jazz quartet exploration. Wilkins leaves the audience absolutely satisfied by this closing tune: if, like me, you weren’t there, then this Blue Note release brings this extraordinary performance a little closer.

Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: ‘Live At The Village Vanguard’ Vol. 1 was released via Blue Note on March 20, followed by Vol. 2 on April 17 and Vol. 3 on May 15