About the Record

“The Vigil and The Sleeping Giant” is about many things. Broadly, it explores our perception of the passage of time. We all experience time differently at various moments in our lives, and COVID was an event that dramatically amplified this sensation for people around the world collectively.

More specifically, this album tells this story through music, of Ron Wilkins’ particularly harrowing experience with COVID. At the start of the pandemic shutdown, Ron was performing on the touring Broadway production of Aladdin in Texas. When the show shut down, he decided it was best to stay with his mother in Texas rather than travel back to New York. In April 2020, Ron wasn’t feeling well, though he didn’t yet realize how sick he truly was. He was found hypoxic and unresponsive and, without ever being conscious of what was happening, was immediately intubated upon arrival at the hospital by ambulance. He woke up 32 days later from a medically induced coma. Thirty-seven days after that, he was finally able to be taken off the ventilator and breathe on his own again. It’s difficult to imagine going to sleep and waking up over a month later only for it to feel like you’d been asleep for a couple of hours.

While those 32 days felt like mere hours to Ron, time moved very differently for those waiting at home. For his family and his partner, Rebecca Patterson, every second felt like an hour.

Waking up was only half the battle. Ron had lost 50 pounds, mostly muscle, after being medically paralyzed in a coma and undergoing a tracheotomy for his breathing tube. A long road to recovery lay ahead, relearning how to do basic things like breathing, walking, talking, and eating on his own. It’s astonishing how those small tasks can feel like a marathon after such an experience, especially for someone who has spent his entire life singing and playing wind instruments.

Through this experience, Ron and Rebecca both turned to music as a way to articulate the journey in a universal language. This album has been years in the making.

It begins with a four-movement suite composed by Ron.

The first movement, “Big City Livin’,” depicts life in New York City, the hustle and bustle, and the connections made amid its chaos. It opens with trombonists Ron Wilkins and Ed Neumeister engaging in a plunger-muted conversation. Bassist Boris Kozlov soon joins in, and from there the full band takes over. Later in the piece, Zac Zinger is featured on EWI, an instrument chosen to personify the electric and ever-evolving technological world we live in. Mike King then pulls us back from the “matrix” with a grounding Fender Rhodes solo.

The second movement, “Comatose Dreams and Nightmares,” is a musical depiction of Ron’s experience during his long coma. The piece cycles through three time signatures—6/8, 9/8, and 7/4—representing the chaotic dreams and nightmares of a medicated subconscious. The composition begins with a heavy, foreboding ensemble line that establishes unease. The soloist represents Ron, pushing against this weight through an inner dialogue. Collective improvisation follows, symbolizing multiple inner voices relaying fragmented information in a chaotic swirl. Featured soloists include Aaron Heick on soprano saxophone, Ron on trombone, Alex Pope Norris on trumpet, and Ray Marchica on drums. Each solo reflects the unpredictable nature of Ron’s nightmarish dream state. The movement concludes by returning to the mixed-meter opening and fading out, leaving the listener uncertain of what has prevailed.

The third movement, “Awaken and Alleluia,” opens with a resolute brass chorale that captures the moment Ron wakes from his month-long coma. As gratitude settles in, the groove of being alive begins to emerge. Ron’s lyrics give voice to his earliest thoughts upon waking, with lines such as “swimming in darkness on an endless, rolling sea” and seeing a light that was “small yet bright.” Ron sings “Alleluia” alongside vocalists Chloe Holgate and Julie Benko, forming a choir. Following the trombone solo, the piece modulates, reflecting Ron’s growing resolve as he faces the long healing journey ahead. Though no visitors were allowed in his room at this stage, he realized he was far from alone, Rebecca, his family, and countless friends were sending love and support. That love shines through in a final swell of Alleluias, ending with the upper voices soaring to a high D.

The fourth movement, “The Sleeper Has Awakened,” represents Ron’s return to life and a deeper grasp of what recovery would require. The introduction features Ron using extended vocal techniques, including throat singing, layered over the band. He becomes resolute in his determination to return to singing and playing, no small feat, especially after undergoing a tracheotomy. The piece then returns to what keeps Ron moving forward: the groove. The band’s impeccable funk feel provides a foundation for Ron’s uncanny ability to scat sing while simultaneously playing bass trombone on the melody and soloing on tenor trombone. Featured soloists include Aaron Heick on alto saxophone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Jeff Barone on electric guitar, and Ray Marchica on drums, each capturing the spirit and intent of the piece.

The next track, “Sulk City,” begins a sequence of compositions by Rebecca that reflect her experience of being on the outside looking in. The piece features a simple, sustained melody that breathes. It’s about quiet resignation, accepting being alone with your thoughts, unable to escape the loop of uncertainty. While Ron was in his coma, Rebecca was unsure how things would unfold, or what the future might look like with so many unanswered questions. Lead trumpeter Seneca Black delivers a perfectly sublime solo, followed by Mike King’s reflective and grooving Rhodes solo. Ray Marchica closes the piece with a growing sense of internal chatter that leads to a resolute, yet harmonically unsettled ending.

“Near East” provides a stark sonic contrast to Sulk City. It conveys both searching and rootedness. A steady bass line anchors the A section throughout, offering stability, while the bridge disrupts that foundation in a way that still feels familiar. Zac Zinger, whom Rebecca met during her time at Berklee College of Music, is a masterful multi-instrumentalist, and the bansuri proved to be the perfect voice for this piece. Though bass trombone is a staple of big band music, it is rarely featured as a solo instrument. Pairing it with the bansuri, an instrument almost never heard in a big band context, was a thrill. Boris Kozlov’s bass solo compliments the low-end dialogue beautifully.

“Waltz Someday” is dedicated to Allyson Bruns, the remarkable person who donated her kidney to Ron years ago. While Ron was in a coma, the kidney briefly failed, requiring dialysis. But just like Ron, it healed and became fully functional again. Allyson is one of the strongest people Rebecca has ever known, and it’s impossible not to believe that her spirit lives on within Ron. Her gift allowed him to “waltz” through life, and saved him once again during his fight with COVID. During Ron’s long rehabilitation, Rebecca held onto the belief that he would waltz again someday, and that day would come sooner rather than later.

Throughout this journey, many people said that Ron’s spirit and will to live kept him alive. While that may be true, it is not always enough. We have all lost people who had the will to live, and yet life unfolded differently. This album also honors those losses. The final track, “Like a Brother,” was co-written by Ron and his lifelong friend Morgan King. Growing up together in San Antonio, they spent decades sharing music and friendship. Recording this piece together was a dream that went unrealized when Morgan passed away due to complications following heart surgery. He left behind his beloved wife, the incredible vocalist Joan Carroll. Ron expanded the tune for big band, featuring trombone and tenor saxophone solos. Saxophonist Ron Blake, despite never having met Morgan, beautifully captured his spirit in a way beyond what could have been imagined.

Personnel

• Aaron Heick - Alto and Soprano Saxophone, Flute
• Ron Blake - Tenor Saxophone and Flute
• Zac Zinger - Tenor Saxophone, Bansuri, Clarinet, and EWI
• Carl Maraghi - Baritone Saxophone and Bass Clarinet
• Ron Wilkins - Tenor and Bass trombone, Vocals, and Tuba (Tracks 2 and 3)
• Ed Neumeister - Trombone
• Rebecca Patterson - Bass Trombone and Tuba (tracks 6 and 7)
• Eric C Davis - French Horn
• Seneca Black - Lead Trumpet
• Alex Pope Norris - Trumpet
• Freddie Hendrix - Trumpet
• Raul Agraz - Trumpet (track 3 chorale)
• Ray Marchica - Drums
• Boris Kozlov - Acoustic and Electric Bass
• Mike King - Rhodes Keyboard and Piano
• Jeff Barone - Electric and Nylon String Guitar

Vocalists on Covid suite 3

• Chloe Holgate - Soprano 1
• Julie Benko - Soprano 2 and Alto
• Ron Wilkins - Tenor and Bass

Production

• Producer - Rebecca Patterson, Ron Wilkins, John Kilgore
• Recording, Mixing - John Kilgore
• Assistant Engineer - Ian Kagey
• Mastering - Alan Silverman
• Conductor - Erica Seguine
• Distributed by Adhyâropa Records
• Published by BMI
• Recorded at the Power Station NYC

Notes from the Leaders

We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped Ron along his journey, including Northeast Baptist Hospital and Dr. Tamara Simpson in San Antonio, PAM Health Specialty and Rehabilitation Hospital of New Braunfels, and PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Kyle, Texas. These healthcare workers and staff are nothing short of miracle workers, putting their own lives and health on the line every day to care for others.

We are also profoundly thankful to everyone who followed Ron’s story and supported him, emotionally and financially. Friends and strangers alike offered love and encouragement, and it made all the difference. We are eternally grateful and strive to pay that kindness forward whenever we can. We hope this album and its story inspire others to keep going, no matter what they are facing.

Release Info

Release date: March 10, 2026 — Covid Suite MVMT I. Big City Livin' single and short film.

Full Album Release: April 10, 2026

Live Release Show at Birdland Jazz Club NYC: April 19, 2026 — 5:30pm

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