We get into the weeds on the latest pedalboard build, and talk about what a disaster these projects can start life as. I'm getting ready to go to Europe to give a clinic on pedals, so this board has a little bit more pressure on it as it'll be heavily scrutinized by the audience.

If you end up watching this on YouTube, the video cut out a few minutes in and I didn't notice until about the 10 minute mark. I shot some b-roll after the fact to go along with what I was talking about, and I do eventually notice and figure it out in time to save the episode.

More soon,

Janek

I think the short answer to the question is yes!

It's totally possible to be a recording artist, but the bigger question is how?

As my debut album Mystery To Me turns 20 this year, I have a little bit of experience in this area to share, and today we get into exactly what it means to be a recording artist in 2024 and beyond.

I’m very excited to have found the sessions from two decades ago and will be remixing, remastering, and for the first time in my career pressing vinyl for this 20th anniversary release.

There will be new artwork and packaging, as well as two bonus tracks of takes we did after the audience had left the studio. Yes, this was a live album! Live in the studio, but live none the less. A small audience assembled on November 4th 2004, and we played the album from top to bottom in one take.

Check out the episode, drop some comments on the youtube video to both give me feedback on the vinyl thing, and of course to help the algorithm.

More soon,

Janek

This is an interview from last year with the founder of Noble, Jack Roan. It went up on my separate youtube podcast channel, but that has long since been abandoned, and with the recent release of my DI shootout video, it seemed fitting to release it on the main channel so a wider audience might hear the story behind Noble.

Enjoy,

Janek

It has been 18 years since Mystery to Me, my debut album, came out. Today I take a quick look back at the complete discography, tell stories about the sessions, and start to plot a course for what is to come in the future.

As mentioned in the show, you can join my new Telegram Channel to be a part of the conversation algorithm-free: https://t.me/janekgwizdala

The podcast is back after a one year hiatus, and it's all thanks to my recent uncoupling from social media. I've quieted the noise, brought my focus to where it needs to spend more time, and as a result have more time to be creative and produce these episodes for you. Aside from explaining a bit of my social media journey, I get into some new music, new pedals, and stereo imaging with my bass rig as I prepare to go to the studio in Spain next month and record my new trio.

As mentioned in the show, you can join my new Telegram Channel to be a part of the conversation algorithm-free: https://t.me/janekgwizdala

I'm working on ways to stay sharp at home while we don't have the option to be out playing gigs. Stamina will be a key element to the success of gigs once they return, and I have a couple of ideas towards the end of this episode that might help you. 

Getting stage-ready for gigs again is going to take some time. But it's something I think we should be thinking about now, even though gigs might be 6-9 months away at least. I'm working with a drum loop and trying to dial in my time, and also working on articulation of solo pieces and making a melody sing. 

Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2021 with some positive takes on the learning process, and what I think are the two most important things in my daily routine. I'm also giving you guys a quick listen to the new sounds of the current pedalboard setup which includes a new pedal this week: The Hungry Robot Moby Dick V2. 

I don't normally take more than a day off at a time, but with the holiday season in full flow here, it ended up being 4 whole days this year!

I finally find a route back into working on music in this episode, and end up creating some really fun frameworks for practicing chords and melody reharmonizations.

I was trying to figure out what to play in today's episode, when I realized pressing record and documenting the process of where to start would be far more valuable than a preconceived idea. 

It's so important not to let the nuance in your phrasing, your time, your sound, and your note choice get lost with technique. Technique typically overshadows subtlety, and we have to police ourselves on that as we develop our learning process. 

There's no substitute for limiting your technical ability when it comes to composition. Being a a very average piano player, I can't get lost in licks and technical ability when it comes to writing, and am really forced to stay within the melody, the harmony, and the form of a song. 

I'm getting into Bach's Violin Sonata No. 3 for my sight reading practice today, as well as taking some oboe technique phrases from Georges Gillet. 

Print media is not dead! Not only isn’t it dead, it’s actually representing the bass community in very high quality format with the launch of Bass Review Magazine in the UK.

I thought the chance of being on the cover of a physical magazine had long since passed, but here we are in 2024 with it happening again.

I wish BRM great success in this endeavor, and look forward to reading about our little bass-corner of the music community for many years to come on the pages of their publication.

As I mentioned in the episode, I’m leaving on tour in two days for Asia... so if you want signed copies of the massive delivery of bass books that just arrived in my studio, get your order in as soon as you see this, and I’ll get them shipped out to you wherever you are in the world before I leave.

More soon,

Janek

Sunday mid afternoon practice session, the new live album from 2011, and some thoughts about being a band leader, and what might be next. 

Chelsea stops by the studio to say hi, I get into some new stuff with the latest addition to my pedalboard, the Mattoverse swell delay, and close out the episode with a little french gypsy jazz vocabulary. 

I talk about a bunch of different stuff. But make sure you follow Roni Kaspi who is fast becoming my new favorite drummer. I jammed along to some of her playing on instagram in the episosde, so the least I can do is link you to her here: https://www.instagram.com/roniponi100/ One of the best young voices in music I've heard in over a decade. 

From Mahler to Sting, I'm taking a look at some of my favorite chord progressions and transcribing them to play on bass. 

We're gearing up for the NAMM show here in Southern California, and answering your social media for musicians related questions!

Chelsea is back, and 2019 is in full effect. We're answering your questions, getting ready for the new year, and planning my next world tour starting late 2019. 

Coffee drinkers, thanks for coming through big time on instagram today with a huge amount of questions. We to everything from Chris Thile to Tine Thing Helseth, Classical music, what a cover actually is, and a whole lot more. Thanks for being here in 2018, see you all in the new year!

With both me and Chelsea about to embark on a bunch of touring in 2019, we take a look at what it takes to stay motivated to practice, maintain a schedule off the road, and make sure we're happy doing what we do. 

Chris is a legend, he's one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet, is a huge influence on me and my playing, and I'm proud to call him my friend. I stopped by Chris' place in Santa Monica and we got into everything from Bill Burr and Phil Rudd, to Alanis Morissette and the Foo Fighters.

So much going on in today's episode. Long one. Audiences, Artists, YouTube, and how it all works. Or doesn't...

Aside from posing the question of whether or not two pedals can be a "pedalboard", I get into what it takes to reboot the system ahead of a grueling international tour schedule.

I’ll be in China and Taiwan for just over two weeks playing 10 concerts with Steve Smith’s Vital information, and that is book-ended by an insane home schedule of filming, recording, and family commitments.

I talk all the time about consistency of practice and work, but no matter how I am, there is always the chance things can fall through the cracks for a few days and totally knock me off my game. This episode is all about how I remedy that get my playing back up to where I need it to be.

Physical copies of Bass Player’s Guide To Pentatonics are back in stock, and shipping worldwide. Grab a signed copy while they last!

More soon,

Janek

The new book is out, and we break down the contents section by section, and give recommendations for learning jazz vocabulary. Plus, we get stuck into the latest questions from coffee drinkers all around the world. 

Thank for your amazing questions from the last episode. We talk about our favorite and life-changing artists, transcription, the Vatican, the NAMM show, and what goes into deciding whether to release and album or not. 

Questions started rolling in today during the taping of the episode, and we answered them as well as talking about ii-V-I's, depression, how to have a healthy life as a musician, and much more. 

Chelsea is back from tour and we discuss Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, Photoshop, Hype-Men, and a whole lot more...

The first notes of the day kick off today's episode so my warm-up routine goes under the microscope. Plus, towards the middle of the episode I discuss what was really on my mind in Episode 16's rant, and get into the realities of gear endorsements and the business side of the music industry. 

What's wrong with the music business? Easy question, complex answer. But there is also a ring modulator pedal and a new chord voicing in this episode to take the edge off a little...

I threw on a bootleg of Kenny Garrett with Pat Metheny today to see if there was something that caught my ear to transcribe. It only took about 8 seconds before a great line came up, and that's how today's episode opens...

We get to a bunch of different things in today's episode. From playing in 9/8, to transcribing hi-hat parts, it will all improve your playing and your process. 

So much fun to sit down and chat with my good friend Adam Dorn. He gives his unique perspective on bass, learning, sports, music, and a whole lot more. 

Wasn't planning on uploading an episode this weekend, but the question of practice vs performance came up in my routine this morning. So I hit record and here it is!

I always find it fascinating as to how long a pedalboard lasts. For the most part in my career, the next board is already being planned before the current one is even fully wired and operational.

Things seem to be a little different this time around though, and I’m excited to share with you what makes this one of the most musical builds I’ve ever completed.

Enjoy,

Janek

P.S. For the first time in the store I have signed physical copies of Ultimate Chop Builder available! Both Minor and Major modes versions, plus a fresh batch of Bass Player’s Guide to Pentatonics.

Shop Now

Thanks for all the great questions via instagram today. This is a long one, and I tried to get to as many of them as I could. Also featured is a little Michael Brecker bootleg, and some playing on the new 4-String. 

Inspired by the incredible Bobby Vega, (and his video on Bass The World's YouTube page playing with a pick) today's podcast takes a look not only at my new signature 4-string prototype from Mattisson Basses, but how to play that bass with a pick. 

Chelsea makes her first appearance on the podcast both playing, and behind the mic. I'm in Denmark to catch one of her shows with Morgan James and Doug Wamble, and Doug makes a guest appearance to open today's show where we discuss everything from terrible pop lyrics to cajon's as furniture. 

Live from the Mattisson Bass workshop in Kumla Sweden, I get to play the new signature 4-String bass for the first time, talk pedals with Morton Ehlers from Bass Buddha, and work on refining my line with Mattisson as we get ready to launch at Winter NAMM 2019. 

Hello from Stockholm, Sweden! Nice dinner hang with Swedish bass master Henrik Linder tonight, and some live Q&A talking about everything from recording session rates to 5-string basses. 

Live from London, England today. I stopped by my Buddy Jojo Mayer's show in Hoxton, hung with the cats, met some coffee drinkers and got some great audio from the show. 

How I prep for the road, traveling with my bass, how I deal with tour logistics, Jet Lag, and how I travel in Business class year-round.

A new composition comes to life in real time, and I dig into some tracks that changed my life as a bass player. 

Soaking up and transcribing some music from Jaco Pastorius, Brian Blade, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, Tigran Hamasyan, Terence Blanchard, Weather Report and Woody Shaw. Going deep inside the listening, learning, and developing process. 

Playing outside the harmony, creating new practice techniques, and a few rants on touring as a band leader. 

After a fantastic week on the road and in the studio with Steve Smith and Vital Information, I'm back home in my studio to examine the most insane pedal delivery my collection has ever seen.

As you may have heard I'm getting ready to start shoot the biggest Bass DI/Pre Amp video of all time.

As you'll see from today's episode, that's not click bait or overselling, it's as accurate a description as I could make considering the companies I reached out to that said yes!

So far in the lineup I have Jad Freer, Jule Amps, Noble, Origin Effects, Aguilar, Ampeg, JHS, Caveman Audio, Miura, MXR, REDDI, Sushi FX, DSM & Humbolt, Radial, and there are still more to come.

If there's something you'd like to see featured in the video that you don't see on the list, drop it in the comments!

For anyone in the Denver area, I’m very excited to be heading to play at Dazzle this coming weekend, Saturday April 20th, with two of my best friends and long-time musical colleagues Gabriel Santiago and Justin Vasquez.

More soon,

Janek

Good morning Coffee Drinkers! How about some audio for those sessions on the treadmill, long flights, or subway ride to work...? Chelsea is on tour, I'm working on melodic minor shapes, analysis of a Ruslan Sirota solo from a Bob Reynolds show at the spud, rants about Spotify, and a whole lot more...

Today's guest is my great friend and world class drummer and mix engineer Celso Alberti. We've been working together since the late 90's and I learnt so much from him early on in my career that I am forever grateful for. He has some amazing stories and knowledge to impart in this interview. Enjoy!

Not only is John a long time friend of mine but he's one of my favorite bass players in the world. He's also recorded, mixed and mastered several of my solo albums and is a long time collaborator with Jojo Mayer in the band Nerve. From his days as front of house engineer with John Patitucci to owning the Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, this interview is packed full of great insight and information for musicians of all walks of life.