Immanuel Wilkins, born August 7, 1997, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, began playing violin at age three before switching to saxophone around age seven. He developed his skills in church and at the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, later moving to New York City in 2015 to study at Juilliard under saxophonists Bruce Williams and Joe Temperley. There, he worked as a sideman with artists including Jason Moran, Wynton Marsalis, and Solange Knowles, while forming his quartet with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Daryl Johns, and drummer Kweku Sumbry. Wilkins debuted with the album Omega in 2020 on Blue Note Records, named the top jazz album of that year by The New York Times. Follow-up releases include The 7th Hand and Blues Blood (2024), with three live quartet albums planned for 2026 from the Village Vanguard. He received the Jazz Journalists Association's Alto Saxophonist of the Year award. Known for live performances emphasizing spiritual depth and communal interplay, Wilkins and his quartet deliver sets blending melody, lamentation, and expansive improvisation at venues like The Jazz Gallery and The Triple Door.