Janek Gwizdala Podcast

It is impossible to cover what makes Markus who he is in a few short sentences. I’ll let you check out his Wikipedia page for the interesting read that is his life story. This interview could have easily gone three more hours, and I’m glad to have made what I think will be the first installment of many chats on the couch with this incredibly interesting, educated, and thoughtful musician. As alway...

Thank you for all the feedback on YouTube, and most importantly for all your questions. They vary from the always-asked, to the never-even-thought-about-that, and they all get me thinking! From three finger technique on your picking hand, to the dos and don’ts of transcription and learning musical vocabulary of any style, your questions are much appreciated and fun to answer, so please keep them c...

Taking Giant Steps as an exercise and stripping away the stigma and general pissing contest that comes with playing it, can really help turn it into one of the most useful vocabulary-expanders no matter what level of musician you are. It has ii-V-I’s, key centers based off an augmented triad, and a whole lot more when you take a deeper look into it. As I put the finishing touches on a new book bas...

The Henrik Linder 4-string Mattisson is one of the gems of my collection, and something I’m playing more and more these days when I need some discipline in the fundamentals for my practice routine. This episode includes a little playing with Henrik’s spectacular prototype studio bass, a look at the ins and outs of making money in the music business, and how we shouldn’t been ashamed of success. Ge...

Hey cats, I'm psyched to bring you my latest podcast episode. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'Janek, are you finally crowd funding the purchase of that Wal Bass you've been drooling over?' and let me tell you, simply put, no. But, I do have a goal that I'm working towards, and that's hitting one million subscribers on YouTube. Why, you ask? So I can bring my music to all corners of the world, t...

It’s cosy on the couch with a bass for this episode as I continue to transform the studio and make different sets for each outlet of the substack and youtube channel that gets published every week. A quick health progress report for anyone following along with the year’s mission of looking forward 30-40 years that I started 2023 with, and I answer some questions that have arisen as a result of thi...

I’m super proud of the work Chelsea has been doing since May of last year in her new dream job in music. We take a look at a line of work you might not have considered in the music business, and reveal what a literal life-long journey this has been in the making. I’m also really excited to be uploading this as the first video made specifically for my new YouTube podcast channel. In the interests o...

Having started out 2023 with a new health, fitness, nutrition, and work routine, I’m able to report in on what that first week of change looks like, and what managing my time as both a parent and a musician looks like. Also in this episode are some insights into what 2023 is going to look like for me, with the beginning stages of a major project in the works for the summer. If you have a few secon...

If you haven’t read yesterday’s post yet, I recommend checking it out to give today’s podcast some context. I was really happy to get to speak to my friend and nutrition expert Jeff Rosthchild in this episode. He messaged me about yesterday’s post so I asked him last-minute if he had a little time to be a guest on the podcast, and weigh-in on some details about my change of protocols as I think ab...

Today was a great day in that I got to spend three separate periods of time with my instrument. This is all good news in my quest for more consistency in my routine as I prepare to be back onstage again after the holidays. With just the idea of playing Pat Metheny’s “Soul Cowboy” blues head and seeing where it takes me, I manage to get almost an hour of solid practice in, and take breaks periodica...

Having been off the radar for a few days first with a finger injury where I cut myself with a razor, and then with a bout of food poisoning, I’m happy to be back with the bass and back making the podcast. This holiday edition takes a look at how I come back from unexpected setbacks like this, and manage to keep working on my playing through the holidays in order to be ready for gigs early in the n...

My practice time is an always-elastic period of time during the day that I’m constantly trying to improve the productivity of. Everyone’s goals for the time we spend with our instruments are going to be different, but there are some common threads, no matter what your goals, that I think are important to understand and build upon when it comes to your learning process. Make sure you check out the...

It’s incredibly interesting to look at how our heroes plotted their careers and their lives out. As I get into middle-age, I think more and more about what is to come in the next 20-30 years, and what I can do to better prepare myself for a healthy and productive old-age. Meeting Mike Mainieri this week while recording on Steve Smith’s new album really got me motivated to never stop pursuing what...

As an important and challenging record date in New York approaches, I’m sharing my process of learning difficult material under less than optimal conditions. Gone are the days of limitless amounts of time to luxuriate in, and I’ve been working on adapting to this new life as a dad, a husband, a small business owner, and bass player all rolled into the same 24 hours a day when I used to have with o...

I know this week has been super heavy on email traffic from me as I not only launch this new blogging and podcast venture on substack, but also let you guys know about our huge Black Friday sale going on right now. It’s going to quieten down and be better and more consistently paced, just as soon as I figure out what that pace is. It would really help me if you leave feedback in the comments below...

Money is always a hard topic to talk about when it comes to making a request for a fee as a band leader. But so many things go into informing that request that are rarely talked about. This episode deals with the long list of items I recently discussed with my new agent as we plan touring for my trio in 2023. Watch the new documentary "One Way Out" Tickets for my upcoming show in NYC with Nir Feld...

Having put out a new album this year that was exclusively available through my website until now, I'm considering what my timeline for releasing the music and the documentary film to the general public might now look like. Join the conversation in the comments of the YouTube video I posted along with this episode.   Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe

The gap between what you feel you're doing and what you're really doing when you practice or play live can be huge. Find out where you are on that scale using some of the same techniques and methods I do to help my awareness and learning process. This episode features content you can find in the LIVE ARCHIVE at Janek's Bass Studio. For all other books, music, and learning material please visit our...

We're starting out on a trial basis, and have a few realistic short-term goals to increase the visibility of the new trio, my music as an artist, and the amount of touring I'm able to do with the trio as a band leader. Please get involved in the conversation on my Telegram channel and give us as many country, city, venue, and festival suggestions as you possibly can. I know I've asked for that in...

It's a working episode today with a look inside my process for working on music I need to know for touring that starts next week. I go over several of the pieces of music I'll need to have 100% dialed in just 5 days from now, and show you where I'm at in the process, and how I go about making sure I'm as prepared as possible.  Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/sub...

The internet has changed the way we make, listen to, and store music as both fans and professional musicians. Today I talk about my latest solution in the plex server, with my windows machine storing my vast music collection on SSD's at home in the studio. We also get into the issue of artists taking some of our favorite music off of the major streaming platforms, and how we might buy that music,...

It's great to be home after a very successful tour with the new trio. This episode is a quick recap of the week's events, and looks forward to what lays ahead for the band in 2023.  Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe

I'm really happy to be able go get everything I need for this tour on a smaller pedalboard, and for it to all fit in a Pelican 1510 carryon. This wasn't always the plan, and in this episode I'll break down what led me to this specific set of pedals, as well as what I'm looking for in the future for my touring setup. New Pedalboard Build Video Tour Dates and tickets for the summer European tour: Au...

From underwear to flight cases, there are a multitude of things to remember when it comes time to leave on your. With my trio tour fast approaching in just a few days, this process is very much at the forefront of my mind. I'm sharing all my experience of how I used to do, how I do it now, and exactly what gear I take on tour. August 22nd - London: Pizza Express Jazz Club August 23rd - Manchester:...

Let's bring some things into your musical orbit that you perhaps thought weren't on the menu quite yet, by making some minor adjustments to things you already know. A tiny change (literally one note in a scale) can open up a whole new world of sounds, and I want to use this simple concept to highlight the fact that jazz is not elitist. It's a language. Tour Dates and tickets for the summer Europea...