musician spotlight

This week we highlight up and coming bassist Wilson Stokes! Wilson is currently a student in the Jazz Studies program at UofSC and is becoming a staple on the local jazz scene. Playing both upright and electric bass, Wilson is a talented young man doing great things for the jazz in Columbia. We asked him some questions-

-When did you first start playing?

-I started on the electric bass in 2020 and then picked up the upright in 2023!

-What was some of the first music that you loved?

-I remember really falling in love with The Beatles and the soundtrack of ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ when I was a kid.

-If you could pick a different instrument to play what would you pick and why?

-Definitely the Hammond B3 Organ, it is probably my favorite instrument to listen to.

-What are you listening to these days?

-Recently, I have been digging into a lot of Charles Mingus, Paul Simon, Coltrane, Linda May Han Oh and Frank Zappa’s discographies.

-Where is one of the coolest places you've played?

-Definitely the Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia, Italy.

-Who is a musician you think others should know about?

-There’s this Tenor Sax player I have been listening to recently named Oded Tzur! His playing really resonates with me.

-What's keeping you busy these days (musically and non)?

-Besides practicing and listening to music, I have really been enjoying to cook and reading a lot more these days!