Janek Gwizdala is an English jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 bassist

Bassist

A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...

 and record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 born in London.

Biography

Janek's beginnings in music started at age 11 with calssical guitar lessons at the Merton Music Foundation from the Late Peter Woodings, as well as study in classical music through brass ensembles and orchestral percussion, drum set lessons with now Buzzcocks drummer Danny Farrant, and participation in just about every style and genre of ensemble that was offered by the MMF. Through these early years Janek's main interest was in drums, and it was the lure of one one of his favorite drummers (Ian Thomas) that convinced him to attend a local jazz gig at the Gun Tavern in Croydon with a friend. The band leader - Laurence Cottle

Laurence Cottle

Laurence Cottle is an electric bass guitarist and composer.-Career:His solo recordings have been mostly in the jazz and jazz-fusion vein, with such notable releases as Five Seasons, Laurence Cottle Quintet Live and others....

. The next day a bass was purchased and Janek followed Laurence around London and the UK learning everything he could. A job at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street...

 in London as assistant sound engineer led to meeting Brazilian Jazz super stars Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...

 and Flora Purim

Flora Purim

Flora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...

. After an invitation to sit in with them in London in 1998, it was on Flora's advice that Janek move to the US and attend Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

.

While studying at Berklee Janek joined the band of Kenwood Dennard and was afforded the opportunity to work with musicians like Pete Levin, and Hiram Bullock. Before leaving Berklee and Boston, Janek would meet several people that would become life long musical collaborators including Bob Reynolds, Tim Miller, and Hal Crook.

After just three semesters at Berklee Janek made the move to New York City to pursue his career. Working day and night on his playing, and managing to land several high profile gigs, the next 8 years would include tours, record dates, production, Musical Direction and performances with Jive Jones

Jive Jones

Jive Jones, JIVEjones, or simply JIVE is a singer, songwriter, producer, model, & actor born & raised in Miami, Florida. He released his debut solo album Me, Myself, & I on Jive Records. Singles released from the album include the title track & "I Belong", a guitar driven love song.Jive is...

, Adam Freeland

Adam Freeland

Adam Freeland is an English DJ and producer associated with breakbeat based electronic music. He was a resident of Brighton, moved to Los Angeles where he recorded second album Cope™ but is now based back in Brighton...

, Mike Philips, Jem

Jem (singer)

Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...

, Delta Goodrem

Delta Goodrem

Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...

, Wayman Tisdale

Wayman Tisdale

Wayman Lawrence Tisdale was an American professional basketball player in the NBA and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma, he was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early life:Tisdale was born in Fort Worth, Texas...

, Wayne Krantz

Wayne Krantz

Wayne Krantz is an American jazz fusion guitarist. He has played with top artists such as Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, and others, but is most active as a solo performer.-Biography:...

, Mike Stern

Mike Stern

Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...

, Randy Brecker

Randy Brecker

Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...

, Paul Shafer, VV Brown

VV Brown

Vanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...

, Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny

Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...

, Ronny Jordan

Ronny Jordan

Ronny Jordan is a guitarist at the forefront of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Additionally, Jordan can be included in several other jazz genres such as urban jazz, jazz funk, crossover jazz, and smooth jazz...

, Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...

, Dapp Theory, James Valentine

James Valentine

James Valentine is the name of:*James Valentine , Australian; also musician*James Valentine , American*James Valentine , Scottish...

, Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer is a highly acclaimed Swiss drummer born in Zurich and currently resides in New York City.Mayer is the son of a touring musician and began his career as a drummer at an early age, receiving his first drum set at the age of two...

, Jeff Lorber

Jeff Lorber

Jeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....

, and many more.

Recordings as a leader

Mystery to Me, released in 2004, was recorded at Manhattan Center Studios in front of a live audience in one take. It features Mark Turner

Mark Turner (musician)

Mark Turner is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.-Biographical information:Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Southern California, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto...

, Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer is a highly acclaimed Swiss drummer born in Zurich and currently resides in New York City.Mayer is the son of a touring musician and began his career as a drummer at an early age, receiving his first drum set at the age of two...

, Elliot Mason

Elliot Mason

Elliot Mason is a jazz trombonist. He also plays the keyboard and the bass trumpet. He has been praised by such musicians as Michael Brecker for his technical facility and innovative harmonically complex improvisation.-History:...

, Tim Miller, Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato is an American jazz singer. She has performed and recorded with musicians such as Lionel Loueke, Wayne Shorter and Kenny Barron....

, Gregoire Maret

Gregoire Maret

Grégoire Maret was born in 1975 in Geneva, Switzerland. He began playing the harmonica at the age of 17. He graduated from high school in 1994....

, and John Ellis

John Ellis

-Politics:* Sir John Ellis, 1st Baronet , British Member of Parliament for Mid Surrey 1884–1885, Kingston 1885–1892* John Ellis , Irish Fianna Fáil politician...

.

Live at the 55bar was recorded live over two nights in Nov 2007, and released February 7, 2008. It features Oli Rockberger, Elliot Mason

Elliot Mason

Elliot Mason is a jazz trombonist. He also plays the keyboard and the bass trumpet. He has been praised by such musicians as Michael Brecker for his technical facility and innovative harmonically complex improvisation.-History:...

, Brad Mason, Justin Vasquez, Tobias Ralph, and Tim Miller.

The Space In Between, Janek's third album as a leader, was released on October 26th 2010. The album features Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer

Jojo Mayer is a highly acclaimed Swiss drummer born in Zurich and currently resides in New York City.Mayer is the son of a touring musician and began his career as a drummer at an early age, receiving his first drum set at the age of two...

, Tim Miller, Mike Stern

Mike Stern

Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...

, James Valentine

James Valentine (musician)

James Valentine is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the pop rock group Maroon 5.-Early life:...

 of Maroon 5

Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...

, Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...

, Bob Reynolds, Doug Wamble

Doug Wamble

Doug Wamble is a North American vocalist, guitarist, and composer.-Biography:...

 and Audun Waage.

Equipment

Janek plays TC Electronic

TC Electronic

TC Electronic is a Danish audio equipment manufacturer.Its current product ranges include guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post production equipment, studio effect processors and broadcast loudness processors...

 Amplifiers and Speaker Cabinets, D'Addario

D'Addario

D'Addario is a manufacturer of musical instrument strings, primarily guitar strings, currently headquartered in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York...

 Strings and Fodera

Fodera

Fodera is an American manufacturer of electric bass guitars. Fodera Basses are made in the Fodera Shop in Brooklyn, New York. Vinnie Fodera and Joey Lauricella started their own company around 1983 after dissolving their working relationship with Ken Smith Basses. The company also manufactures a...

 basses.

As a Leader

• Mystery to Me - Live in New York - 2004
• Live at the 55bar - 2008
• The Space In Between - 2010

As a Sideman

• Jose Neto
  José Neto
  José Manuel Conceiçāo Neto was a Portuguese footballer who played for SL Benfica and was part of their European Cup victory in 1961....
  
   - 7th Wave
• Ronny Jordan
  Ronny Jordan
  Ronny Jordan is a guitarist at the forefront of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Additionally, Jordan can be included in several other jazz genres such as urban jazz, jazz funk, crossover jazz, and smooth jazz...
  
   - At last
• Adam Freeland
  Adam Freeland
  Adam Freeland is an English DJ and producer associated with breakbeat based electronic music. He was a resident of Brighton, moved to Los Angeles where he recorded second album Cope™ but is now based back in Brighton...
  
   - Now And Them
• Mike Philips - Uncommon Denominator
• Bob Reynolds - Can't Wait for Perfect
• Bob Reynolds - A live Life
• Marcus Miller
  Marcus Miller
  Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
  
  - Free
• Justin Vasquez - Tryptich

External links

• Official Website
• [ Allmusic Guide Discography]
• Last.fm page