Sam Wilkes

Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Wilkes makes fluid, meditative jazz filled with ambient and even psychedelic textures. A frequent collaborator of saxophonist Sam Gendel and eclectic singer/songwriter Louis Cole, he made his solo debut with the 2018 full-length simply titled Wilkes.
While primarily known for playing bass, Wilkes is also proficient in other instruments such as guitars, keyboards, and percussion. He’s performed with acts spanning several genres throughout the Los Angeles music scene. He formed the indie rock duo Pratley with James Watson, and they released their debut EP in 2011. He also played with cover-happy funk band Scary Pockets, appearing on many of their early singles throughout 2016. In 2017, Pratley released their self-titled LP, and Wilkes appeared on Hotep by Dean Blunt’s Blue Iverson project and Sam Gendel’s Double Expression, a digital album of improvisational performances. He also toured as a member of Knower, a complex, jazzy electro-pop duo consisting of Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi. In 2018, Leaving Records released Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar by Gendel and Wilkes, as well as Wilkes’ solo debut, titled after his surname. Wilkes appeared on 2019 albums by Chaka Khan (co-writing the title track to Hello Happiness), Teebs, and Akua before releasing the full-length Live on the Green in November. ~ Paul Simpson