Building on the widespread acclaim of his 2020 Blue Note debut Omega, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins delivers another momentous statement with his sophomore release, The 7th Hand. For the most part a showcase of the same incendiary quartet with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Darryl Johns and drummer Kweku Sumbry, this outing also includes a collaboration with another of Sumbry’s projects, the Farafina Kan Percussion Ensemble, on “Don’t Break”, and two tracks (including the radiant “Witness”) featuring flutist Elena Pinderhughes, known for her work with Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. Wilkins envisioned this album as an interconnected suite, with episodes ranging from the tripwire rhythm of “Emanation” and the uptempo fury of “Lighthouse” to the hypnotic melodies of “Shadow” and “Fugitive Ritual, Selah”. The final track, lasting nearly a half hour, sends the quartet into a whole other zone of freely improvised, slowly building heat.