Sam Wilkes (born 1991, Connecticut) is a Los Angeles-based bassist, composer, producer, and arranger whose music moves fluidly between jazz, ambient, funk, and chamber pop. He studied R&B and funk at USC Thornton School of Music, where he met saxophonist Sam Gendel, and has since released seven studio albums while touring as a member of jazz-funk band Knower. His collaborators span Chaka Khan, Jacob Collier, Rufus Wainwright, and Maggie Rogers, and his track "BOA" reached wider audiences after appearing in the 2021 Netflix film Malcolm & Marie.
Wilkes released "Public Records Performance" (Wilkes Records), a live album recorded at Public Records in Brooklyn in August 2022, featuring his regular band with Will Graefe, Craig Weinrib, and Aidan Lombard.
Wilkes completed a Japan spring tour as both a solo act and with his quartet (Craig Weinrib, Will Graefe, Benny Bock), featuring guest appearances by Manami Kakudo and Kaho Nakamura.
Wilkes released the trio album "Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes" on International Anthem alongside guitarist Gregory Uhlmann and saxophonist Josh Johnson, described as a jazz-informed take on progressive electro-acoustic chamber music.
Wilkes released "iiyo iiyo iiyo", a live album documenting his 2022 Japan tour with a quintet including Chris Fishman, Dylan Day, Thom Gill, and Craig Weinrib.
Wilkes released a self-titled trio album with Craig Weinrib and Dylan Day on Leaving Records.
