Sam Gendel, Sam Wilkes

Biography

Sam Wilkes (born July 22, 1991, in Connecticut, USA) and Sam Gendel (born in Visalia, California, USA) are American jazz musicians who met as students at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, where Wilkes studied R&B and funk under mentors like Patrice Rushen and Leon 'Ndugu' Chancler, and Gendel immersed himself in the local music scene despite not being a music major.[1][2][4] Wilkes, son of photographer Stephen Wilkes, began playing electric bass as a child, influenced by improvisatory acts like Phish and The Grateful Dead, while Gendel developed proficiency on saxophone and multiple instruments in the rural San Joaquin Valley before moving south.[1][4] Their partnership blossomed in LA's vibrant scene, with early involvement in indie rock (Wilkes in Pratley), funk (Scary Pockets), and jazz-funk band Knower alongside Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi.[1][3]

The duo's career took off with their debut collaborative album Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar (2018), recorded live to tape outside a Los Angeles restaurant and released on Leaving Records, blending ambient jazz, nu jazz, and experimental forms that dissolved traditional structures into hypnotic, psychedelic soundscapes.[1][2] They followed with Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar More Songs (2021), praised by The New York Times as one of the year's best jazz albums, and The Doober (2024), featuring jazz-inflected covers of Joni Mitchell and Sheryl Crow.[1][6] Wilkes released solo works like Wilkes (2018, with Gendel and Louis Cole), noted by Pitchfork for its dreamy ambient jazz, and pivoted to indie rock/chamber pop with Driving (2023).[1] Gendel expanded into production and collaborations with Vampire Weekend, Perfume Genius, and Nonesuch releases like Satin Doll, while both toured extensively with Knower, opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers.[2][3][4] Their style—spiritual jazz with psychedelic edges—influences LA's indie jazz wave.[3]

As of 2024, the pair's seven collaborative and solo albums since 2018 have cemented their legacy in ambient and experimental jazz, with critical acclaim from Pitchfork, DownBeat, and PopMatters highlighting their innovative live-to-tape methods and genre-blending innovation.[1][3]

Fun Facts

• Their debut album Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar was recorded live to tape outside a Los Angeles restaurant.[1]
• Wilkes toured with Rozzi Crane opening for Maroon 5 on the Maroon V Tour in 2015.[1]
• Gendel produced a 20-minute, 21-second version of Vampire Weekend's '2021' for their EP 40:42.[2]
• A track co-written by Wilkes and Gendel, 'BOA,' scored a key scene in the Netflix film Malcolm & Marie.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Patrice Rushen - Teacher at USC Thornton School of Music (R&B and funk studies) [early 2010s]
• Leon 'Ndugu' Chancler - Teacher at USC Thornton School of Music (R&B and funk studies) [early 2010s]
• Phish and The Grateful Dead - Early stylistic influences on Wilkes' improvisatory bass playing (Childhood inspiration) [pre-USC]

Key Collaborators

• Louis Cole - Band member in Knower, drummer on Wilkes' debut (Knower tours, Wilkes (2018)) [2017-present]
• Genevieve Artadi - Band member in Knower (Knower tours and performances) [2017-present]
• Knower - Jazz-funk band membership and tours (Opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers, YouTube performances) [2017-present]
• Vampire Weekend - Co-wrote tracks and remixes (Gendel) (Father of the Bride (2019), 2021 EP) [2019-2021]
• Blake Mills - Trio performances and productions (Gendel) (YouTube trio with Pino Palladino, Notes With Attachments (2021)) [2020s]
• Pino Palladino - Trio performances (Gendel) (YouTube trio with Blake Mills) [2020s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia