Can there be any doubt that Janek Gwizdala is the hardest-working man in bass? Sure, there may be in-demand utility anchors with more gigs and sessions, but when it comes down to plying his art and his brand, Janek’s passion, energy, and output are unmatched. He’s arguably the first new-media bass star, with an omnipresence on social media that he has been cultivating since the dawning days of MySpace. The South London, England-born Gwizdala is the very definition of bass entrepreneur, balancing recordings and tours as both a leader and a sideman, an online education empire, vlogs and podcasts, and generally being on the leading edge — whether the discussion is playing concepts, gear, or the bass world’s inner circle. (We won’t go into his gifts as a tennis player and magician.) For me, the Janek experience began circa-1999 at Berklee College of Music, when I was in Boston to do a story on the famed school for Bass Player. I attended Bruce Gertz’s advanced jazz harmony class and happened to sit next to an engaged student who, in a whisper, explained to me each of Gertz’s complex theories before he finished presenting them. Janek next moved to New York City, where he quickly established himself as an elite member of the new millennium’s Young Guns of the Bass Guitar movement shepherded by Matt Garrison, and marked by 5-string basses with a high C string, fingerstyle technique, and a new level of soloing and chording proficiency. Gigs with Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Wayne Krantz, and other Gotham heavies followed. Gwizdala switched coasts for his current home base of Los Angeles in 2010, claiming his space in the city’s burgeoning contemporary jazz movement, yet he somehow remained a presence on the New York and European scenes, as well. Known for working quickly and diligently on his own projects, Janek has already amassed a back catalog of ten albums. For his 11th effort, The Union, Gwizdala has shaken things up, taking on a producer for the first time — none other than one of his musical idols, John Patitucci. It’s part of a new chapter in the life of the 40-year-old, whose summer also included marrying L.A. doubler Chelsea Stevens [www.chelseastevensmusic.com], whom he met at a NAMM Bass Bash. What led to you to have John Patitucci produce the record? After ten self-produced albums, I thought, Maybe it’s time for me to get a producer — to have a voice that you trust, that can be objective. I couldn’t think of anyone I trusted more than John, who I’ve known since 2007, and he graciously accepted the role. His support and focus were invaluable. We had a great conversation the night before the recording, in which he talked about how you need to believe wholeheartedly in what it is that you do, and to be completely inside the music, with no external distractions. I’ll admit, when you’re in the studio with one of your heroes, who you grew up listening to, there’s definitely a barrier to break through to play i