Paul Westwood
Paul Westwood (born 1953) is an English Bass player, composer, educator and author.
He studied guitar from the age of ten but switched to bass guitar when he was thirteen. At this point, his main influences were bassists Jack Bruce, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey and Ray Brown. Later influences included Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius.
Musical Education
In the 1970s, Westwood trained with The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (Bill Ashton, OBE), The Guildhall School of Music (James Merritt; principal bass London Philharmonic Orchestra), and The Royal Academy of Music (Sir John Dankworth and Graham Collier, OBE: jazz musicians and composers). He then spent five years touring in over twenty-five countries with Sir John Dankworth, Dame Cleo Laine, Lulu and Charles Aznavour.
Career
At the age of 24, Westwood returned to England to fulfil his ambition of becoming a session musician in London’s recording studios.
Albums As a session musician, Westwood worked with such artists as: Guy Barker, Lucio Battisti, Warren Bernhardt, Stephen Bishop, David Bowie, Elkie Brooks, Jose Carreras, Louis Clark, Larry Coryell, Matthew Fisher, Steve Gadd, Larry Gatlin, Steve Gray, Peter Green, Justin Hayward, Nick Heywood, Hot Chocolate, Neil Innes, Chas Jankel, Elton John, Salena Jones, Nik Kershaw, Leiber & Stoller, Andrew Lloyd Webber, London Symphony Orchestra, Madonna, George Martin, Juan Martin, George Michael, John Miles, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Sally Oldfield, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Alan Parker, Phil Ramone, Tim Rice, Cliff Richard, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennifer Rush, The Shadows, Wayne Shorter, Chris Spedding, Barbara Thompson, Vangelis, Andy Williams, John Williams (guitarist), Pip Williams.
Movies Westwood played on many movie and film soundtracks for composers such as: John Altman, John Barry, John Cameron, Carl Davis, Trevor Jones, Ron Goodwin, Richard Harvey, Peter Knight, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, Mike Moran, Jim Parker, The Sex Pistols, Debbie Wiseman, Mark Wilkinson, and Hans Zimmer. In 2018, Westwood was also bass guitar coach to actor Joseph Mazzello, who played the part of Queen’s rock bassist John Deacon in the 20th Century Fox Academy Award winning production of Bohemian Rhapsody.
TV shows Artists that Westwood worked with on TV shows include: Alyn Ainsworth Orchestra, George Benson, Chuck Berry, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, John Coleman Orchestra, Randy Crawford, Gloria Estefan, James Galway, Janet Jackson, Al Jarreau, Tom Jones, Barry Manilow, Luciano Pavarotti, The Pointer Sisters, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Sedaka, The Stylistics, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Tammy Wynette.
International tours and stage shows He has performed on numerous stages internationally for artists such as: Charles Aznavour, Sarah Brightman, Elkie Brooks, Billy Connolly, Michael Crawford, John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Lulu, Cliff Richard, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia. Westwood also worked in many West End stage productions, including: Cats, Chess, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Whistle Down the Wind.
Commercial composition work While working with commercial media companies, Westwood composed music for various groups and orchestras. He also produced 16 albums that were used by BBC, ITV, Sky, De Wolfe and KPM Music for signature tunes, incidental music, and advertising jingles.
Community concerts From 2008 until 2017, Westwood was the musical director for Jazz In The Community, which developed into a series of annual charity concerts performed for children with special needs, primary school children, and the elderly in care homes
Lecturing and teaching
Since the 1990s, Westwood has been teaching electric bass, music composition and group workshops in various colleges, including the London College of Music (at The University of West London), Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Morley College, and the Royal Academy of Music.
Awards Westwood was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2006.
Research projects His passion for researching different aspects of world music has proved to be a powerful tool for teaching and compositional purposes. Research projects include:
- Elizabethan music: experiments with early 17th century English melodies, melding with Turkish rhythm and harmony of the times.
- Henry Purcell: late 17th century songs and their influence on 20th-century jazz and Motown.
- Turkish music: the Maqam harmonic system and ethnic percussion influences on European music.
- Moroccan and Andalusian music a journey through regional variations of the music.
- Sir Thomas Browne (polymath) the relevance of 17th-century numerology, cosmology, and alchemy in contemporary music.
- John Coltrane: spirituality, symbolism, and structure used in 20th century 'free-form' jazz.
- World Music: contemporary developments in digital and analog bass guitars and their use in performance.
Paul Westwood’s Jazz FX
In March 2019, his band, Paul Westwood's Jazz FX, released their first album entitled The Earth Born and began a series of promotional concerts.
Discography
| Year | Album | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Off Centre | Gilbert O'Sullivan, (feat: bass guitarist,) |
| 1980 | Little Dreamer | Peter Green, (feat: bass guitarist,) |
| 1980 | Chas Jankel | Chas Jankel, (feat: bass guitarist,) |
| 1981 | Whatcha Gonna Do? | Peter Green, (feat: bass guitarist,) |
| 1981 | Blue Guitar | Peter Green, (feat: bass guitarist,) |
| 1981 | Making Your Mind Up | Bucks Fizz, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1982 | Now You See Me... Now You Don't | Cliff Richard, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1982 | Hooked on Classics, Vol 1: Can't Stop the Classics | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1982 | Hooked on Classics Vol 2: Can't Stop the Classics | Louis Clark, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | The Kids from Fame Live! | Kids From Fame (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | Bass Patterns | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1983 | The Guitar Is the Song | John Williams, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | Strange Day in Berlin | Sally Oldfield, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | Play On | John Miles, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | Off the Record | Neil Innes, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1983 | Human Racing | Nik Kershaw, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1984 | Dealer | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | Breakdance | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | Bass Moods Volume 2 | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | Bass Moods Volume 1 | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | Sneaking Up | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | Jennifer Rush | Jennifer Rush, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1984 | Night Cruisin | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1984 | You Caught Me Out | Tracey Ullman, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1985 | Kerb Crawler | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1985 | Side Kick | Paul Westwood (feat: bass guitarist, soloist composer) |
| 1985 | Ice on Fire | Elton John, (feat: bass guitarist, composer) |
| 1986 | Reflex | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1986 | Easy Living | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1986 | Reflex (Remixes) | Paul Westwood, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1986 | Leather Jackets | Elton John, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1986 | Labyrinth[From the Original Soundtrack of the Jim Henson Film] | Trevor Jones, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1986 | Moonlight Shadows | The Shadows, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1986 | Close Enough For Love | Andy Williams, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1987 | Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 (1979-1987) | Elton John, (feat: bass guitarist, composer) |
| 1987 | After Dark | Paul Westwood (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1988 | A Little Light Relief | Paul Westwood & Alan Parker, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 1988 | Jazz Horizons: Best of M.A. Music, Vol. 1 | (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1989 | My Kind of Music | Ron Goodwin, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1989 | Mancini Rocks the Pops | Henry Mancini, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1991 | Light & Latin | Elena Duran, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1991 | En el Ultimo Lugar del Mundo | Ricardo Montaner, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1992 | The Best of Benny Hill | Benny Hill, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1992 | Obsesiones | Yuri, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1992 | Hooked on Classics [Box] | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1992 | Greatest Hits(1976-1986) | Elton John, (feat: bass guitarist, composer) |
| 1995 | Si, Viaggiare | Lucio Battisti, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1995 | Anthology | Nik Kershaw, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1996 | Showcase: The Musicals | BBC Concert Orchestra, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1996 | Matthew Fisher/Strange Days | Matthew Fisher (musician), (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1997 | Lady Saxophone | Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist) |
| 1998 | Con Ganas | Camilo Sesto, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1998 | Blues for Dhyana | Peter Green, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 1999 | Shifting Sands | Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist) |
| 1999 | Latin & Light | Elena Duran, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 2000 | El Alquimista (The Alchemist) | Artist Juan Martin, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 2000 | Blues Britannia | (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer) |
| 2002 | Takes on the Hits | Tracey Ullman, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 2003 | In the Eye of the Storm | Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, (feat: bass guitarist, soloist, composer)] |
| 2005 | ITV 50: The Album | feat: bass guitarist, composer |
| 2007 | My Occupation | Chas Jankel, (feat: bass guitarist) |
| 2016 | The Guitarist | John Williams, (feat: guitarron) |
| 2017 | Boxing the Shadows | The Shadows (band)|Feat:bass guitarist]] |
| 2018 | Loving the Alien (1983-1988) | David Bowie (musician)|Feat:bass guitarist]] |
| 2019 | The Earth Born | Paul Westwood’s Jazz FX |
Publications
BOOKS
BASS BIBLE Published by AMA Verlag, Germany. Bass guitar tuition book: a world history of contemporary bass lines, 285 pages. 1st edition, (1997) revised 2nd edition (2004) revised 3rd edition (2008)
• English, ISBN 3-927190-67-5 • French, ISBN 3-932587-30-8 • German, ISBN 3-927190-84-5 • Italian, ISBN 88-6388-170-7 • Japanese, ISBN 4-7549-3481-4 • Chinese, ISRC CN-Q06-04-0031-0/A.G4
BASS BIBLE 2 Due for publication in 2019 by AMA Verlag, this tuition book (second in the series) contains further examples of western bass guitar styles, plus bass lines from Turkey, the Middle East, and the Far East. Also featured are examples of 16th century English Renaissance music used in the plays of William Shakespeare. 3 audio CDs are to be included.
VIDEOS and DVDs
• The Complete Bass Guitar Player (1991), Music Sales Ltd, tuition video, Omnibus OV10267
• A-Z of Bass Guitar (2010), Music Sales Ltd, tuition DVD, DV11495, ISBN 978-1-84938-865-8
References
Education
•Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Filmography
•Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) (bass guitar coach) For composers Queen
•The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) For composer Richard Hartley
•Little Voice (film) (1998) For composer John Altman
•Evita (Film) (1996) For composers Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber
•Labyrinth (1986 film) (1986) For composer Trevor Jones, David Bowie
•Sid and Nancy (1986) For the Sex Pistols
•Hors-La-Loi (Outlaws) (1985)] For composer Philippe Sarde
•Joyeuses Paques (Happy Easter) (1984) For composer Philippe Sarde
•Never Say Never Again (James Bond) (1983) For composer Michel Legrand
•The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) For composer John Barry
• Lost and Found (1979) For composer John Cameron
•The World is Full of Married Men (1979) For composers Bugatti and Musker
Television
•Children’s Hospital theme, ‘Ray of Sunshine’ (1993-2003) For Debbie Wiseman
•A Touch of Frost (1992-2010) For composer Barbara Thompson
•Soldier Soldier (1991–99) For composer Jim Parker
•Shrinks (1991) For composer Debbie Wiseman
•A Royal Gala in aid of The Princes Trust (feat. Robin Williams) (1987) For musical director Alyn Ainsworth
•The Worst Witch (film)(1986) For composer Denis King
•Hotel du Lac (film)(1986) For composer Carl Davis
•Strike It Lucky (TV show) theme 'Born To Run'(1996–99) For composer Paul Westwood
•Stage Fright, Only Fools and Horses (1991). Personal appearance. For composers Ronny Hazelhurst and John Sullivan
•Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) For composers Ronny Hazelhurst and John Sullivan
•Bergerac (TV series) (1981–91) For composer George Fenton
•The Racing Game (TV series)(1979) For composer Mike Moran
Live from the Palladium, Live from Her Majesty’s Theatre, BAFTA Award Show, Royal Variety Show, Jimmy Tarbuck Show, Surprise Surprise (Cilla Black. For Alyn Ainsworth (ITV musical director)
Eurovision Song Contest Les Dawson Show, The Best of Les Dawson, The Best of Tommy Cooper, Opportunity Knocks (Bob Monkhouse), Lena Zavaroni Show. For John Coleman (musician)
Discography
•Paul Westwood – credits at Allmusic. Retrieved 8 April 2019
•Paul Westwood – credits at Discography and Songs. Retrieved 8 April 2019
•Paul Westwood – credits at Rate Your Music. Retrieved 8 April 2019
Interviews
•DMME, Let It Rock (Nov 2004), Interview with John Hiseman. Retrieved 8 April 2019
•Harold Fisher on Paul Westwood. 'Turned Out Nice Again: The Story of British Light Entertainment' (2013). Barfe Louis, Atlantic Books Ltd.
ISBN 1848877579, 9781848877573
•Interview with Per Elios Drablos. ‘The Quest for the Melodic Electric Bass: From Jamerson to Spenner’ (2015).
Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9781472434821
External links
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