Cannonball Adderley is one of my biggest jazz heroes and in this episode we're taking a look into how he's helped me with all aspects of my playing, not just jazz and improvisation.

Find and trust a process that works for you, and then get into great habits like consistency, listening, and repetition.

I have also found throughout the decades of working on all music, that the less I expect in terms of results, the more I end up achieving.

It’s so easy to get sucked into that vortex of impatience when you first start working on something new. But trusting the process, letting it come to you rather than forcing the issue, and being okay with it not sounding or feeling that great right away are all key elements of what is going to help you succeed.

Iconic Lines could be a great place to start if you're into material like this. Even if you're not, it could be the challenge and the discipline you've been looking for to take your daily routine in a new a more productive direction.

Get ready for new music tonight at midnight with the release of the new album “Found” available on all streaming platforms!

More soon,

Janek

Even if your pedal doesn't have them built in, I have a fix to get you the sound that "trails" open up on time based effects.

And when it comes to some of the hippest pedal sounds for bass, a momentary switch can make all the difference in your performance.

We get to both trails and momentary switches in this episode, as well as some tasty pedal combos and a vintage octave pedal you may have never seen before...

As I mention in the episode, four of my favorite pedals are up on the chopping block, and my loss is your gain right. I have a few new things I want to bring into the pedalboard, and I'm trying to be good about not hoarding pedals just for the sake of it.

They have served me well, have been on several of my own albums as well as on this channel many times, and now the road veers in a different sonic direction which requires a change of pedal scenery for me.

Check out these beauties on the store before they’re all gone.

More soon,

Janek

Jason was a full-time touring musician for years, playing hundreds—if not thousands—of shows around the world. Today, he’s recognized as one of the world’s leading card magicians. He was incredibly generous with his time, sitting down with me to explore the fascinating parallels between mastering both music and magic.

We met at New York City’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club and went deep into the lineage Jason comes from—one that traces back to giants like Dai Vernon, his mentor Darwin Ortiz, and a rare circle of elite card magicians. These artists are keeping the craft alive and evolving, both through live performance and the modern era of video we currently find ourselves in.

One of the performance's referenced in the interview is Jason's Magic Castle set. I highly recommend watching it for some context, and also to get your brain melted:

He is touring constantly, and having been in the room while he handled the cards, I cannot recommend checking out a live show enough.

Check out tour dates and everything else Ladanye.

He is also @CardMagicByJason on all platforms.

More soon,

Janek

Ever wanted to sound just like your bass heroes? We all have those iconic players who shaped the way we hear and play bass. For me, it started with revisiting Voodoo by D'Angelo and getting lost in Pino Palladino’s buttery tone. That led me down the rabbit hole of dialing in his sound—and others—using the HX Stomp.

The result? A custom collection of 5 HX Stomp presets inspired by five of the greatest to ever do it: Marcus Miller, Pino Palladino, Tim Lefebvre, John Patitucci, and Victor Wooten. These players have shaped entire genres—and my own musical path—with tones that are instantly recognizable yet always evolving.

Rather than chase every tone they’ve ever played, I zeroed in on some of their most iconic recorded moments. These presets are my best attempt to capture those sounds—the ones that made me stop and rewind.

Check out all the HX Presets I have in the store, including this new collection of Bass Legends.

They’re designed as a starting point for your curiosity, and I highly recommend diving deeper into each artist’s discography to better understand their origin story. As the years unfold, the fascinating part for me is where they’ve all ended up on the journey.

With John Patitucci you might be a huge fan of the 80’s/90’s Ken Smith/Yamaha records, but haven’t explored the recent albums with the hollow body instruments. Marcus Miller might mean SLAP to you, but perhaps you missed his incredibly melodic finger style playing on fretless on records like Tales and Marcus.

Wherever you’re at in your listening and discovery, just remember that curiosity is key, and these sounds could open up a whole new world of music.

More soon,

Janek

This past week has been one of the bigger musical challenges of my career when I was asked to sub for one of my all-time bass heroes Tony Levin in the band Stick Men.

This episode takes a look at the process of learning their show in less than two days, transcribing and charting all the music, and playing 9 note phrases over an 11/4 time signature.

It was a real highlight of my year to be trusted by these exceptional musicians, to be able to complete the assignment, and most importantly to have a fun and musically fulfilling time doing it.

We of course wish Tony a speedy recovery, and the band a successful conclusion to their west coast tour this month.

Be sure to check out the band and their tour dates.

More soon,

Janek

Adam Neely is a bass player, band leader, YouTuber and much more as you're about to find out in this interview.

I sat down with him recently in NYC and got into what it takes to be a bass player and artist in 2025 and beyond.

We talk touring as a band leader, breaking the YouTube algorithm, and a little nerdy pedal chat thrown in for good measure.

This was the first time we were meeting in person, and it will hopefully be the first of many sit-down discussions as the music business evolves in the coming years.

Enjoy,

Janek

This episode of the podcast started life a couple of days ago as a post on my newsletter, and has now become a deeper dive into the inner workings of some of the most legendary bass players we all know and love.

You might have heard of these bassists, maybe heard these albums. Perhaps you've even heard these exact songs before! But if you leave with nothing else from this episode, I want you to think about all the places your mind hasn't yet wondered when you listen.

Before you leave, don’t forget that our 4th of July “Independence Bass” sale is now live! Get 30% off all orders over $80, and get free shipping worldwide on books, CDs and Vinyl. No promo codes needed. It all happens automatically at checkout.

More soon and happy practicing!

Janek

You might be a bass player who owns more than one bass, but has had difficulty switching between them. You are not alone!

This was me for the longest time. I used to be so tied to one specific instrument that I missed out on a lot of opportunities to play music. I've since shed that security blanket and am sharing the process in today's episode as I highlight how much easier it has become to switch between 4 very different basses.

The Vital Information East Coast tour starts tomorrow, all dates are linked below.

More soon,

Janek

📚 Bass Books

👕 Merch

🌎 My Website

💿 CDs and Vinyl

📅 Tour Dates

🎧 Stream My Music

SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL CHAGE ALL THE SETTINGS ON YOUR PEDALS

Playing a Thundercat song on SBL wasn't something I had on my bingo card at the beginning of the year, but that's exactly what happened! I had a blast shooting the video and was (in a very rare instance for me) quite happy with the performance. I think it was a product of being surprised by the material, feeling comfortable around the crew, and just letting it happen.

Massive thanks to Sharon for doing such a great job of hosting the segment and being open to trying something new with the format, and to the whole crew with Scott and Mattie for our mega day in the studio here in Los Angeles.

Check out the new Chordal Harmony Bundle if you want to dig deeper into some of the chords and voicings I’m breaking down in today’s episode.

More soon,

Janek

📚 Bass Books

👕 Merch

🌎 My Website

💿 CDs and Vinyl

📅 Tour Dates

🎧 Stream My Music

SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL CHAGE ALL THE SETTINGS ON YOUR PEDALS

It all started as a very innocent comment about not being a huge Soundgarden fan. Over 200k views and 1k comments in the first week later, and the dumpster fire that YouTube comments can become has been quite an eye-opening ride. The irony is, I don't hate Soundgarden at all. I've even seen them in concert at the old LA Forum and had a great time.

The way in which most of the outraged commenters on Musora's video we shot with Vital Information think it's wrong that I don't choose Soundgarden as my go-to band, is quite astonishing. If I asked them to listen to microtonal ambient clarinet music and they weren't a huge fan, should my response be the same? Should I think any less of them? Of course not. In this episode we break down the Soundgarden controversy, my clinics in Europe with Ian Martin Allison, and one of the worst travel weeks of my 30+ year career.

Make sure you check out the new vinyl copies of the Mystery to Me 20th Anniversary release that just arrived while I was on tour in Europe. All pre-orders shipped today, and there are a few copies left that are available in the store while stocks last!

More soon,

Janek

📚 Bass Books

👕 Merch

🌎 My Website

💿 CDs and Vinyl

📅 Tour Dates

🎧 Stream My Music

SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL CHAGE ALL THE SETTINGS ON YOUR PEDALS