Immanuel Wilkins


Immanuel Wilkins is an American jazz saxophonist.

Life and work

Wilkins, who is of African American heritage, grew up in the Upper Darby neighborhood of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He gained his first musical experiences in his community church, which led him to attend jazz courses at the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts.
In 2009, as a teenager, he had the opportunity to perform the national anthem before the Philadelphia Eagles game.
Wilkins studied at the Juilliard School under Bruce Williams, Steve Wilson, and Joe Temperley.
Wilkins led his own band in the late 2010s, performing his own compositions and performing at jazz clubs and venues such as The Jazz Gallery, Smoke, Jamaica Center of Arts and Smalls.
In 2020, he presented the debut album Omega, which he had recorded with Micah Thomas, Daryl Johns, and Kweku Sumbry.
Wilkins is a member of a quartet with Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake, and The Generation Gap and the formations of Philip Dizack and Noam Wiesenberg. He also contributed to Good Vibes' first two albums KingMaker and Who Are You?, as well as Johnathan Blake's 2021 album, Homeward Bound and Kalia Vandever's 2022 album, Regrowth.
Wilkins was featured on a cover of "Sleigh Ride" on the 2024 charity Christmas album A Philly Special Christmas Party by The Philly Specials.
For 2026 Grammy Awards, he received a nomination for the album Blues Blood in the Best Alternative Jazz Album category.

Discography

As leader