Sam Wilkes

Sam Wilkes (born July 22, 1991) is an American bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music producer. He has collaborated extensively with jazz saxophonist Sam Gendel and toured as a member of jazz-funk band Knower. Wilkes has released seven studio albums since 2018, three of which have been collaborations with Gendel.

Early life

Sam Wilkes was born on July 22, 1991, and raised in Connecticut. He is the son of photographer Stephen Wilkes. In 2015, he toured with singer and fellow Thornton student Rozzi Crane, opening for Maroon 5 on the Maroon V Tour. One track from the album, "BOA", gained popularity after being featured in the soundtrack of 2021 Netflix film Malcolm & Marie. It was described by Pitchfork as "a dreamy album that dissolves jazz structures into ambient, vaguely psychedelic forms" and hailed by DownBeat magazine as "one of the year's best L.A. jazz albums". In 2019, Wilkes appeared on the album Hello Happiness by Chaka Khan, also co-writing the album's title track.

Wilkes's 2023 album Driving marked a departure from his ambient jazz sound, pivoting to indie rock and chamber pop music driven by acoustic guitar and featuring his own vocals. Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called it "one of the year's most dynamic and endlessly curious records".

Discography

Studio albums

Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar (2018) Wilkes (2018) Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar More Songs (2021) One Theme & Subsequent Improvisation (2021) Perform the Compositions of Sam Wilkes & Jacob Mann (2022) Driving (2023) The Doober (2024) Sam Wilkes, Craig Weinrib, and Dylan Day (2024) Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes (2025) Unrelated (2026)

Live albums

Live on the Green (2018) iiyo iiyo iiyo (2024) Public Records Performance (2025)

Compilation albums

Sings (2014–2016) (2020)

EPs

Froggy (2026)

Singles 104.3 (2025)