Immanuel Wilkins, Blues Blood Review

by Brice Boorman

Immanuel Wilkins’ third album, Blues Blood, leaps into today’s music and cultural memory, blending various musical and sensory experiences that explore Wilkins’ Black American heritage. Co-produced by the ever-imaginative Meshell Ndegeocello, this album features an impressive ensemble of musicians, including pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Rick Rosato, drummer Kweku Sumbry, and vocalists Ganavya, June McDoom, and Yaw Agyeman, along with special guest appearances by Cécile McLorin Salvant, Marvin Sewell, and Chris Dave.

Blues Blood draws you into Wilkins’ journey from the outset, unlike the flow of 2020’s Omega or the conceptual sequence of 2022’s The 7th Hand. This album opts for an unfolding with layers of different styles, vocalists, spoken word, and instrumental sonics that each track offers.

The album opens with “MATTE GLAZE,” featuring June McDoom’s vocals and Micah Thomas’s piano. The song’s concept, based on a haiku by Theaster Gates, develops as an exploration of vesselhood—how bodies, like vessels, carry ancestral memories. The track’s sense of development, as if drawing listeners into its surroundings, climaxes with a soulful solo by Wilkins.

“AFTERLIFE RESIDENCE TIME” reflects Wilkins’ inspiration from Christina Sharpe’s work, specifically her reflections on the Transatlantic Slave Trade in In The Wake. The music itself mirrors a sense of historical continuity, with Ganavya’s mesmerizing vocals and the ritualistic drumming of Kweku Sumbry creating a space. The track builds gradually, and Wilkins’ saxophone comes in.

Vocals play a prominent role throughout Blues Blood, marking a departure from Wilkins’ previous instrumental albums. On “DARK EYES SMILE,” Cécile McLorin Salvant delivers a fine performance, reflecting on the transition of loved ones into ancestors. The lyrics explore the ways in which personal memories intertwine with ancestral legacies: “In my best and worst times, my reflection will resemble you.” Salvant’s voice, rich with emotional nuance, floats effortlessly over Wilkins’ saxophone, creating a moment of profound connection between past and present.

The album’s title track, “BLUES BLOOD,” encapsulates the work’s central theme: the intersection of personal pain and cultural history, symbolized through the blues. Drawing from a quote by Daniel Hamm of the Harlem Six, Wilkins uses the metaphor of blood to explore trauma and endurance. Musically, Wilkins’ alto sax captures the dichotomy of contemporary jazz and the blues tradition. The interplay between the musicians is also excellent, offering moments of collective improvisation that reflect the communal chemistry of the ensemble.

“MOTION,” featuring June McDoom, offers a playful energy, while “MOSHPIT” injects intensity with its repetitive hip groove. These moments of contrast help give the album a dynamic range of emotions and textures.

While Blues Blood is undoubtedly a challenging album, Wilkins’ music reflects on the past and invites us to engage with the present, confront painful histories, and transform them into something that can nourish and sustain us. Blues Blood is Wilkins challenging listeners to look beyond the surface and engage with the deeper layers of meaning embedded within the music.