Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes

Sam Gendel at Union Chapel

Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes are a Los Angeles-based musical duo known for their collaborative, experimental jazz-adjacent music.

Sam Gendel works primarily with saxophones and wind controllers, developing a distinct voice through both his original music and wide-ranging collaborations. He has worked with artists including Ry Cooder, Mach-Hommy, Blake Mills, Sam Amidon, Laurie Anderson, Sam Wilkes, Perfume Genius, Moses Sumney, Knower, Vampire Weekend, Louis Cole, Fabiano Do Nascimento, and Inc. No World.

Wilkes is an American bassist, producer, arranger, and composer whose music centers on genre fusion, collaboration, and deeply rooted rhythm section playing. A frequent collaborator of Gendel, Louis Cole/KNOWER, and Jacob Mann, he has also worked with Chaka Khan, Mk.gee, Dijon, Rufus Wainwright, Maggie Rogers, Dean Blunt, Neil Frances, Genevieve Artadi, Jacob Collier, and Dominic Fike.

Together, Gendel and Wilkes create music that is understated, exploratory, and grounded in a shared musical language developed through years of collaboration.