Press Here you can find a collection of past interviews, features and reviews. Just click on your chosen article from the following list. Articles Frank Gutch Jr., Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange 2007 Sam Wise, Acoustic Magazine 2006 Owen Bailey, Guitarist Magazine 2006 Simon Bradley, Guitarist Magazine 2006 Patrick Regains, Minor 7th 2006 Giles Duffy, Rocks Magazine 2006 Henk de Veldhuis, Bridge Guitar Reviews 2006 Phil Jackson, BBC Southern Counties 2006
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Patrick Regains, Minor 7th 2006 "Composer/guitarist Lee Westwood counts among his musical influences Pierre Bensusan, Ralph Towner, Michael Hedges, Tommy Emmanuel, Django Reinhardt, Sergei Rachmaninov, Debussy, Tool, Bjork, and Sonny Rollins. His main outlet is performing solo steel-string guitar in DADGAD tuning in an aggressive, dense style. Philippe Barnes adds flute on several pieces in a manner reminiscent of Tony Robert's playing on John Renbourn's "The Black Balloon." Westwood is prodigiously talented and able to create musical landscapes that are abstract, yet always energetic. This very intensity renders the title of the CD something of a puzzle, since his music is full of contrasting dynamics, string snapping, insistent rhythms and strong melodies. "A Star Above The Arctic Circle" quickly became a favourite, as it features a slower, somewhat jazzy introduction. "Calamity" follows, and is a great, bluesy piece - imagine a hybrid of Bert Jansch and Peter Finger and you'll get some idea of it's feel. "Reels" begins with a Celtic aura, but soon moves into jazzy syncopation under swirling guitar and flute lines. Adam Oehlers' illustrations on the insert for "Music For Children" and "Dear Little Emmie" yield no obvious insight into the corresponding tunes, which are too complex to evoke childhood, yet Westwood's music is no less compelling for it. "Hell Is Full Of Angels" presents a possible resolution to the unsettled quality of the music on one hand and the titles and accompanying drawings on the other; he may purposely intend to convey a loss of innocence and its accompanying confusion. This puzzle persists throught the end of the CD, but, to the patient listener, Westwood's music is captivating. This disc rewards repeated listening and will hold special interest for guitarists who compose and perform their own intstrumentals." - Patrick Regains, Minor 7th 2006
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