Label: Blue Note Records, 2020

Personnel - Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Micah Thomas: piano; Daryl Johns: bass; Kweku Sumbry: drums.

Immanuel Wilkins was born to be a jazz star. The 23-year-old alto saxophonist/composer does not just deliver powerful personal music with the force of Coltrane and the progressive perception of Ornette, he also focuses on a fundamental message in his attempt to channel the Black experience in America through his sound. Omega, his majestic debut album, was produced by pianist Jason Moran and features a promising young rhythm team consisting of Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums.

The opening title, “Warriors”, is weaved with polyrhythmic complexity, denoting a swinging undertow that drags us in. Thomas’ amply rhythmic pianism cuts across the piece, whether in the form of individual statement or as a support for Wilkins’ vertiginous expansions. The saxophonist composed this one in honor of friendship, family and community.

A totally different ambiance is offered in related cuts such as “Ferguson - An American Tradition” and “Mary Turner - An American Tradition”, both quivering anxiety and despair pertaining to the tragic events addressed. The former, crafted with a forward thrust and pinpoint detail, reconstructs in reverse the 2014 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white cop in Ferguson. Wilkins speaks volumes as he infuses the scenario with long, penetrating cries drowned in emotion. The latter piece, alluding to the 1918 lynchings in Georgia, emerges amorphously and minimally, and then presents a section where the saxophonist spills heart and grief over percussion. The addition of piano sets a widespread turmoil that busts into the avant-garde jazz department.

This freer posture also comes into view on “Guarded Heart”, the fourth and last part of a suite written in 2013, and where the fervency and tartness of Wilkins’ horn suits well the elasticity of his compositional style. The other parts of this sequence are “The Key”, which provides a softly textured opening; “Saudade”, an infectious, pulsating expedition that counterbalances tender and busy passages; and the eloquently expressed “Eulogy”, which keeps a pounding rhythm running in the background.

Written for James Weldon Johnson and kicking off with Johns’ bass at the center, “The Dreamer” is the ballad of the record. However, it’s the ardent spiritual force conveyed by “Omega”, the act of candor that closes out the album, that awes the most. Sumbry’s drum work is amazing and Thomas’ multifaceted harmonization spills, at once, rigor and freedom. The pianist embarks on a free conversation with Wilkins, and both musicians demonstrate their distinct subtleties and common passions.

Breaking traditional harmonic and rhythmic patterns, Wilkins is a giant newcomer whose poise and musical maturity are beyond his years.