On May 15 and 16 in 2025, the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet entered the Village Vanguard, New York City’s legendary jazz room, to record the saxophonist’s first ever live outing. It is the first of three volumes from those shows: Vol. 2 was released in April, and Vol. 3 in May. In addition to Wilkins’ alto horn, the quartet consists of pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Ryoma Takenaga, and drummer Kweku Sumbry. The entire project contains just 13 tracks: four lengthy tracks appear here. This music is wildly creative, making for intense listening as this group improvises in the moment and communicates seemingly instinctively.
The 14-minute-plus “Warriors” opens the set. Its introduction is balladic before the band follows Sumbry’s frenetic drumming and the pace…