Jazz bassist, pianist, and composer Bill Wells came up through the Scottish jazz scene. He gained recognition leading an octet in the mid-'90s. His experimentations have led to projects with artists like Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell, Jens Lekman, Kevin Ayers, and Arab Strap's Aiden Moffat, with whom he recorded 2011's Everything's Getting Older, winner of the inaugural Scottish Album of the Year Award. In 2007, Wells formed the National Jazz Trio of Scotland, an eclectic ensemble with a rotating cast that is rarely a trio and pushes the limits of what could be considered jazz. A commission from the arts organization Creative Scotland led to his 2015 Nursery Rhymes project, which included Syd Straw, Yo La Tengo, and Karen Mantler. ~ Timothy Monger