Paul Westwood

Paul Westwood

Hourly Paid Lecturer
London College of Music
paul.westwood@uwl.ac.uk

Paul joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra at 16 and studied at the Guildhall School of Music with James Merritt (principal bass, London Philharmonic Orchestra) and at the Royal Academy of Music with Sir John Dankworth and Graham Collier OBE.

For many years, Paul has been a top London session musician, working on recordings for many artists including: David Bowie, Jose Carreras, Larry Coryell, Elton John, Nik Kershaw, Leiber & Stoller, London Symphony Orchestra, Madonna, George Michael, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Shadows, Wayne Shorter, Rod Stewart and John Williams (gtr).

Paul has also performed on numerous film soundtracks for composers including: John Barry, Carl Davis, George Fenton, Trevor Jones, Michel Le Grand, Henry Mancini, Paul McCartney, Debbie Wiseman and Hans Zimmer. In 2018, Paul was bass guitar coach to actor Joe Mazzello, who appeared as John Deacon in the Academy Award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

TV performances include shows with: George Benson, Chuck Berry, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Gloria Estefan, James Galway, Janet Jackson, Tom Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, LeAnn Rimes, The Stylistics, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick and Barry White.

Concert tours in over 25 countries include shows with Charles Aznavour, Jose Carreras, Tom Jones, Cleo Laine, Lulu, Liza Minelli, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia.

Paul also composed music for 16 media albums, which have been used extensively by KPM Ltd, De Wolfe Ltd, ITV, BBC and Sky for signature tunes, incidental music and advertising jingles.

Current performance and composition work includes projects used in concerts given by Paul Westwood’s contemporary music group:

  • In the Shadow of Henry Purcell (15 instrumentals of Renaissance/fusion music)
  • Joys of Spring (17 instrumentals of 1940s and 1950s jazz)
  • Knock On Wood (15 instrumentals of 1960s soul music)
  • Stops & Starts (17 instrumentals of 1970s world music)
  • Earth Born (17 instrumentals of 1980s world music)
  • Outlining (17 instrumentals of 1990s jazz)
  • Soul Journeys (15 instrumentals of 2000s pentatonic-fusion music)
  • Korean Jangdan (13 instrumentals of Asian-fusion music)
  • Arabethan Tales (14 instrumentals of Turkish-fusion music)

  • Awards

    Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (2006)

  • Memberships

    Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)
    Musicians’ Union
    Performing Rights Society (PRS)
    Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL)

Teaching

  • London College of Music at the University of West London, 2008 to date – jazz bass guitar (BMus Hons, MMus Performance), Popular Music Performance (bass guitar BMus, MMus)
  • Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 2002 to date – jazz electric bass (BMus Hons, MMus Performance)
  • Morley College, 1997 to date – bass guitar (beginners to advanced level), jazz workshops (beginners to advanced level)
  • Royal Academy of Music, 1994-2007 – jazz electric bass (BMus Hons), media and applied music (studio workshops and annual concert pro

Research

  • Research and publications

    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 Brown – 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 analogue bass guitars and their use in performance
    • Korean Music – experiments with traditional Jangdan percussion, melding with Asian pentatonic harmony and 20th century forms of western music

    Publications:

    • Bass Bible vol.2, AMA Verlag, Germany, 2020 (part two of a world history of bass guitar styles and techniques), English and German, ISBN 978-3-89922-293-7
    • A-Z of Bass Guitar, Music Sales Ltd, 2011 (tuition and demonstration DVD of contemporary bass guitar styles and techniques), ISBN 978-1-84938-865-8
    • Bass Bible, AMA Verlag, Germany, 2011 (revised third edition)
    • Bass Bible, AMA Verlag, Germany, 2004 (revised second edition)
    • The Bassist, Bass Player magazine, 2002 (a series of articles about experiences in the music business)
    • Bass Bible, AMA Verlag Germany, 1997 (first edition, part one of a world history of bass guitar styles and techniques), English, ISBN 3-927190-67-5, French, ISBN 3-932587-30-8, German, ISBN 3-927190-84-5, Japanese, ISBN 4-7549-3481-4, Chinese, ISRC CN-Q06-04-0031-0/A.G4, Italian, ISBN-13 978-8863881707
    • The Complete Bass Guitar Player, Music Sales Ltd. 1991 (a tuition and demonstration video of contemporary bass guitar styles and techniques), Omnibus OV10267