Janek Gwizdala
Artist Profile & Key Collaborators
- Instrument: Electric Bass Guitar (Custom 5-string instruments, Solo Artist)
- Frequent Collaborative Lineups: Features elite jazz and fusion heavyweights including Jojo Mayer, Tim Miller, Mark Turner, Tom Cawley, and Cliff Almond.
Biography
Janek Gwizdala is a globally celebrated British-born jazz fusion bassist, composer, and bandleader based in the United States. Renowned for his virtuosic command of electric bass, seamless legato phrasing, and innovative use of modern technology and live looping, he has released an extensive catalog of critically acclaimed albums as a leader. Over his career, Gwizdala has toured and recorded with an elite roster of artists including Peter Erskine, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, and Wayne Shorter, while also establishing himself as a prolific author of instructional bass literature and an educator.
Selected Discography & Studio Albums
- Mystery to Me (2004 / 20th Anniversary Edition released in 2024)
- Live at the 55bar (2008)
- The Space in Between (2010)
- Theatre by the Sea (2013)
- American Elm (2016)
- The Union (2019)
- One Way Out (2022)
- Night Watch (2023)
- Found (2025)
- Seminaro (with Daniele Camarda, 2025)
In this episode I catch you up on everything that's been happening, from touring with Steve Smith's Vital Information, Clarence Penn, and Peter Erskine, to moving house here in Southern California, finishing my brand-new book How to Transcribe, and preparing for the release of my new live trio album Quiet Places.
I also spend a good portion of the episode exploring one of the most inspiring harmonic concepts I've encountered in years: Neo-Riemannian triadic transformations. It's a simple idea built around major and minor triads, but it's completely changed the way I'm thinking about harmony, improvisation, voice leading, and creating melodic movement in my bass lines.
We also talk about
: • Why transcription is really about ear training
• How immersion and repetition accelerate musical growth
• Touring with a minimalist pedalboard setup
• The Walrus Audio Mantle in real-world situations
• Preparing mentally for performances with musical heroes
• Building freedom through harmony instead of memorized licks
If you're interested in becoming a more musical improviser (not just learning more scales) this episode is for you.
If you'd like to see a full rundown of my current touring pedalboard, leave a comment below. If enough people ask, I'll make a dedicated video.
Thanks for listening, and it's great to be back.
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Links
📖 How to Transcribe (Book + Masterclass + Audio) https://janekgwizdala.myshopify.com/