Janek Gwizdala

[Faithless]

So there's a little promo, presenting musicians he used on his new studio album, and a bit of live music and studio footage.

Hope you enjoy


and don't forget to check the album!


Faith

[pantherairsoft]

Saw this earlier. Anything with JoJo Mayer on drums is worth listening to



Oh yeah... The bass ain't bad either... Lol

[jmanfunk]

Nice one Faith. Great record and Jojo's playing is immense on this record as always. In keeping with the Janek theme, heres a video of Janek's recent appearance on Monika Lidke's upcoming record. Enjoy.




easy,

Jay.

[Doddy]

[quote name='jmanfunk' post='1023518' date='Nov 14 2010, 03:43 PM']Nice one Faith. Great record and Jojo's playing is immense on this record as always. In keeping with the Janek theme, heres a video of Janek's recent appearance on Monika Lidke's upcoming record. Enjoy.[/quote]

That's cool...I'd not seen it yet.

I saw the album promo earlier....... The album's great.

[xilddx]

Oh god I'm going to get flaked up for this, but I thought that vid was so incredibly bland. I thought it would have some beautiful compositions on it, but it's just basic stuff with lots of solo ops. It's just trad pop jazz with up to date sounds and production.

If you want to hear some really beautiful but more challenging stuff in this kind of genre, try the latest Allan Holdsworth album with Pasqua, Wackerman and Haslip, recorded live, it's beuatiful and has so much attitude.

Sorry guys. I do realise Janek's very accomplished but this demonstrates so little imagination. I Jazz was supposed to push boundaries?

[Doddy]

[quote name='silddx' post='1023770' date='Nov 14 2010, 07:06 PM']If you want to hear some really beautiful but more challenging stuff in this kind of genre, try the latest Allan Holdsworth album with Pasqua, Wackerman and Haslip, recorded live, it's beuatiful and has so much attitude.[/quote]

I've got the DVD of that and it's great,but very different than what Janek is doing.

I love Haslips playing.

[Faithless]

I suppose, Lidke's stuff with Janek was recorded in Frankurt where he's been for some studio work..

altough I'm not sure about Janek's solo.. I hear licks..

[chardbass]

Love the second track that's featured- some good old fusion. A little bit of Holdsworth maybe a bit of Weather Report- nice track tho.

[Marvin]

Didn't like any of it. As a bass player he's very talented and so are the others at their instruments, but musically it doesn't interest me in the slightest.

And promo? It came across as bits and bobs recorded on someone's mobile phone.

[slaphappygarry]

I had the honor of recording Janeks Quartet (with Jojo, Auduun Waag and Olie Rockberfer) last April Live in Edinburgh.

Truely phenominal stuff and musicianship.

[xilddx]

I'm afraid that, to me, it's just a jazz fusion version of Porcupine Tree , as edgy as a billiard ball. Great musicians, sounds pretty, but in the end, it's a bunch of grooves to play snazzy over and show off your chops. There's no BEAUTY in it, well not me anyway.

I've never heard Janek before, but from what I read of him, what he says in his columns, and his reputation, I was expecting something extraordinary.

[XB26354]

I disagree. It's your opinion but I cannot hear this showing off of chops, I can hear decent composition, melodies that are not instantly forgettable and musicians listening hard to each other. No wonder he cleared off to the US...

[steve-soar]

I really like his groove based playing.

[risingson]

Really not palatable music, clunky and pretty jarring to my ears, and the production is sterile and very close. A terrible bass tone as well. Goes to show you can spend however much you want on buying a bass, making it sound good is a different story. Purely my opinion, sorry if it doesn't reflect your own. Clearly a good musician but the music he's investing his time in is definitely not my thing.

[Faithless]

[quote name='silddx' post='1024312' date='Nov 15 2010, 11:37 AM']I'm afraid that, to me, it's just a jazz fusion version of Porcupine Tree , as edgy as a billiard ball. Great musicians, sounds pretty, but in the end, it's a bunch of grooves to play snazzy over and show off your chops. There's no BEAUTY in it, well not me anyway.

I've never heard Janek before, but from what I read of him, what he says in his columns, and his reputation, I was expecting something extraordinary.[/quote]


I think I'll just use that Ignore function for the first time during my time on BC.
I'm just too tired to argue with this kind of rant, when one of the most melodic bassplayers and musicians on the whole, along with other cats, is blamed for showing off chops.

Don't you really think it's more than stupid to make such statements about these cats judging from 4 minute video?

All I can say, is, stop talking nonsenses, go buy that album, listen to it about hundred times, and if you still think that they're showing off chops.. Then please show us music, which is really melodic.

[jakenewmanbass]

Opinions, friends, are valid, if they don't chime with your own then show a little grace and allow for difference in the world eh...

Edited November 16, 2010 by jakesbass

[xilddx]

[quote name='Faithless' post='1025224' date='Nov 15 2010, 09:23 PM']I think I'll just use that Ignore function for the first time during my time on BC.
I'm just too tired to argue with this kind of rant, when one of the most melodic bassplayers and musicians on the whole, along with other cats, is blamed for showing off chops.

Don't you really think it's more than stupid to make such statements about these cats judging from 4 minute video?

All I can say, is, stop talking nonsenses, go buy that album, listen to it about hundred times, and if you still think that they're showing off chops.. Then please show us music, which is really melodic.[/quote]
Since you have me on ignore, you won't hear this, which is a shame. But maybe you are already familiar with the piece. It has incredible soul, and he improvised it under pressure with Zappa directing him while he recorded it. Patrick O'Hearn.



You could also checkout Echidna's Arf (Of You) from Zappa's Roxy & Elsewhere for Tom Fowler playing some amazing immensely powerful Rock/Jazz, it's immediately followed on the album by Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, the very end of which displays some of the most beautiful bass harmonisation I have ever heard.

Since we are on Zappa's bassists, check out Scott Thunes on Big Swifty from Make a Jazz Noise Here.

Edited November 15, 2010 by silddx

[paul_5]

Now children, play nice...
+1 on the 'rubber shirt'. Apparently it's the drum tracks from one piece (in 11/8 or something similar) grafted under Patrick's fretless playing. Hooray for Frank Zappa - a true artist. Massively creative and genuinely passionate abut his music. The world needs more people like this.

Edited November 15, 2010 by paul_5

[xilddx]

Don't worry about Faith, he gets a bit upset and defensive from time to time, he can be a little obnoxious himself too. But generally I respect him and I think we're ok. I understand where he's coming from.

[Doddy]

If we're talking about Zappa let's not forget Arthur Barrow kicking ass on the Joe's Garage album.

[xilddx]

Dear Faithless,

Let my try to explain where I am coming from.

In terms of bassists, when I hear Tom Fowler, Viv Albertine, Sting, Scott Thunes, Patrick O'Hearn, Geddy Lee, Peter Hook, Vivian Weathers, Paul Simonon, Jimmy Haslip, Flea .. I hear their voices, I get a vision, rightly or wrongly, of their personalities, I see them, I hear them, I feel their humour, feel their family life, I LIKE them as people coming through the bass and how they augment the music they are playing with. Sometimes I read about them and I find out things I didn't want to know, which colours my picture of them and their music in a way that changes my perception of them in a negative way. BUT, their personality is in their bass and what they do with it in relation to the composition. I hear THEM, not just the bass.

When I listen to Janek, I hear someone making a record. I get no impression of Janek as a person, I don't want to find out more about him. He doesn't speak to me.

So forgive me if I spout some sh*t occasionally about certain bassists, I am just expressing my feelings with regard to my relationship with them.

All the best,
Nigel

[xilddx]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1025340' date='Nov 15 2010, 11:30 PM']If we're talking about Zappa let's not forget Arthur Barrow kicking ass on the Joe's Garage album.[/quote]
Funny you should mention him given my previous post about feeling the musician, I never felt Arthur. I always thought the most interesting thing about him was his name. Great player, not much personality in his playing, in my opinion of course

[tauzero]

[quote name='Faithless' post='1025224' date='Nov 15 2010, 09:23 PM']I'm just too tired to argue with this kind of rant, when one of the most melodic bassplayers and musicians on the whole, along with other cats, is blamed for showing off chops.

Don't you really think it's more than stupid to make such statements about these cats judging from 4 minute video?

All I can say, is, stop talking nonsenses, go buy that album, listen to it about hundred times, and if you still think that they're showing off chops.. Then please show us music, which is really melodic.[/quote]
They're not cats, they're people.

I went to see Janek in Smoke-on-Trent (the evening that PeteAcademy promoted) and while I was impressed by his ability and articulacy, the recordings of him and his [s]clowder[/s] band didn't really do anything for me. Well played but a bit insipid. Before you get all arsey, I should also point out that I find Donald Fagen's "Nightfly" a truly soporific experience.

[mcgraham]

I like Janek's music, and will buy this next one (when I remember!), so share Faithless's love for his music. However, I can also relate to silddx's point. I found Live at the 55 Bar to be a more energetic album than Mystery to me, but I found it to be a little sparse on originality and catchy melodies. I'm not saying it was devoid of originality or melody, but given the length of the album and the quality of the musicians, there was relatively little music that made me "sit-up and pay attention". I did love the production on it though.

In contrast, Mystery to me had a great deal of interesting music and I listened intently the whole way through... but only from a musical perspective, as I found that it lacked vibrance or energy from the band/musicians/recording as a whole. Also, I wouldn't say there were any musically intense songs - they all felt very moody and melancholic, and therefore very samey, to me. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say he gained energy and production quality on the Live album at the expense of originality and artistry.

In short, I think Janek is a great musician with a lot to offer, but as yet hasn't quite won me over with his offerings so far.

EDIT: Oh I should add I went to see him in Epsom a few years back with a kick-ass band doing 'covers' of various jazz standards, and their live energy and musical prowess (both technically, rhythmically, melodically and harmonically) was astounding. Great night.

Edited November 16, 2010 by mcgraham

[purpleblob]

I always find it so interesting how polarised views can become regarding some people. Janek seems to be one of those musicians who has such an affect on people.

I have all his albums to date (awaiting the latest) and this includes his official bootleg albums and I think there are fair comments from both sides of the argument.

I personally very much like the groove that Janek has, I love his choice of notes and think he's extremely talented, but equally I can see/hear aspects of what silddx is saying. I do feel Janek has a great tone and does have a distinctive voice (and ofcourse this is all subjective), but musically I do find some of his stuff feels more like a base for soloing over than memorable tunes.

I don't feel he's particularily pushing any new boundaries but then not everyone can be a Jaco or Stanley Clarke , In my opinion, what he does, he does well, but if he's not everyone's choice then so bit it. I don't want to like the same music as everyone else

EDIT: for some reason I keep typing don;t instead of don't - so fixed it

Edited November 16, 2010 by purpleblob