Sam Wilkes demystifies jazz with stunning results on debut LP

It’s a word that has been moulded, misunderstood and misinterpreted by the public, media and journalists alike. At the roots of it, jazz is dance music – it’s designed to make you move and feel something. WILKES is an album that taps into that feeling. It might not move your feet, but its warm tones will worm its way into your music collection, like a not-so-unwanted guest.

Sam Wilkes is a bassist and musician surrounded by the burgeoning Los Angeles scene. His debut full-length album WILKES is a product of this creative haven; six wandering tracks drenched in hazy Californian sunshine. The perfect soundtrack for dusk or dawn, its loose, free-flowing blend of electronics, brass, and percussion bring warm sounds to the forefront. A constant drone of padded sounds give the sharper, less orthodox notes a place to land softly and more comfortably.

For those still wary of the foreboding jazz bogey man, do not fear. WILKES is a record built upon riffs and motifs, much like a pop or hip hop album. It may have its cosmic moments, but the ‘out-there’ solos are brought back to Planet Earth with the reassuring warmth of the trickling instrumentation. “Hug” may be a bit too much for some, but you have to let Wilkes and his band have their fun sometime. “Today” and “Tonight” are stand-out tracks, the perfect place for any jazz-sceptics to begin their journey.

We’re led to believe that jazz is having a resurgence, but it has always been there, lurking in darkened music halls, bars and cafes across the world – it just so happens that a crowd of new, young, talented artists have come along to switch the light back on. Sam Wilkes is one of those artists. Hopefully, his triumphant full-length album will help to demystify jazz to the masses, bringing the genre’s timeless sound to a whole new audience.