Saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins' third studio album, Blues Blood, offers a meditative listening experience inspired in part by his youth, exploring the legacy of our ancestors and the bloodlines that connect us. Co-produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, it features Micah Thomas on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, Kweku Sumbry on drums, and vocalists Ganavya, June McDoom, and Yaw Agyeman, with special guest appearances by vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, guitarist Marvin Sewell, and drummer Chris Dave. Blues Blood marks the first time Wilkins has included vocalists on an album, with each distinctive voice tapping into different aspects of heritage. The album explores "blues" as a symbol of radical optimism in the face of adversity and "blood" as a symbol of all that is ancestral and generational.
