Peter's music has been heard on hundreds of radio stations and has been on SiriusXM rotation for over a decade. As a multi-award winning artist, Peter's music has also topped Billboard's Classical and Crossover charts.
For Captain Beefheart, a maverick-artist-musician, who was not just a complicated man but highly demanding and by most accounts very difficult to deal with. It was appropriate that Beefheart's Magic Band was to prominently feature a bassist as accomplished, bold and adventurous as Mark Boston, a.k.a Rockette Morton.
Born on July 14, 1949, Mark began life in the small town of Salem, Illinois before his family moved out to Lancaster, California when he was 13. With a bassist and steel player for a father, Mark gained a great appreciation for country and bluegrass along with the R&B and rock’n’roll that was on the rise. Within a year of the Boston clan moving out to Lancaster, Mark befriended a young guitarist by the name of Bill Harkleroad.
At a time when the bass guitar was seen as the dummy’s instrument, Mark left quite an impression on Bill with his talent and equipment, leading to the two joining forces to form BC And The Cavemen. With Mark’s mother sewing some outfits for them, the band developed a decent reputation, and the two would also play in a band with Jeff Cotton and John French known as Blues In A Bottle. And then a local hero came calling. Or perhaps screaming and howling!
In that same Lancaster scene, Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band were making a big splash as a top flight blues rock outfit, with 'Safe As Milk' having made a strong impression and 'Strictly Personal' being a strong record as well. But even with a sound that was speaking to people, one that perhaps would have been a more pragmatic one as far as a career goes, Don Van Vliet just wasn’t meant for conventional norms.
The Captain had all these ideas, ideas far too out for many, including early members. He needed new musicians, younger and more impressionable ones that wouldn’t object to his ideas. Already having John and Jeff in the band, now 'Drumbo' and Antennae Jimmy Semens, he then recruited Bill, dubbed Zoot Horn Rollo. And on bass, he found Mark Boston, who took the name Rockette Morton due to his love of outer space. And the classic Magic Band was born.
Trout Mask Replica (TMR) wasn’t an easy album to make. Yet even with all the bizarre ideas and the difficulty in preparing those ideas into music, Mark was a total champ through it all. The Beefheart sound is one of great dichotomy, and Mark can capture all of it. He’s so tight and precise, and yet there’s this raw grit and dirt. He’s highly intelligent and sophisticated in his playing, and yet there remains this childlike sense of wonder and curiosity.
He takes after all the great traditional American music, yet out into a whole other realm of time and space. The bass traditionally serves the role of grounding the harmony while locking in with the drums to provide a foundation, yet Mark’s playing often serves as another melody line in the music. In a lot of ways, he’s like a third guitarist that just happens to be playing bass.
The TMR on its own is a legacy few can compete with, and yet Mark contributed to more classic records like "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Clear Spot". There on Decals, you get the equivalent of Godfather II. With Mother Art Tripp on marimba and drums rather Jeff on guitar, you get an album that captures a great deal of TMR's brilliance while being brilliant in its own unique way.
Then you get to 'The Spotlight Kid', with bass godliness on cuts like “When It Blows Its Stack”, resulting in a bass solo that often opened shows, yet Mark proves himself just as talented on traditional in-the-pocket styles as demonstrated on cuts like “I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby”. And that thing about bassists being failed guitarists? In the 'Clear Spot', with Mark taking guitar and the rhythm section now being a mini Mothers reunion of Art and Roy Estrada, yet nobody missed a beat. Throughout the record, Bill and Mark’s kinship really shines, their weaving right there with what Bill and Jeff had done, or what was done with Alex St Clair early on.
Of course, dealing with Don was quite a task of its own, so it’s inevitable that Mark and the others would all end up departing by 1974. He and Bill soon formed a group of their own called Mallard. For two albums, the first with Art and having some writing help from John French 'Drumbo', Mallard showed itself a pretty decent blues rock outfit. And giving that it was Mark who finally had a chance to create something that was truly his own rather than helping some achieve their vision, it’s understandably the work that he takes pride in. And over time, he’d end up making a solo record and create some cool artwork of his own, as well as performing with 'Drumbo' in the reformed Magic Band, allowing the music to live and breathe on stage again.
If you’re a Beefheart fan, how can you not love Rockette Morton? Not only a uniquely talented bass player but such a great stage presence full of joy, along with a lovably quirky personality and such a sweet guy. Easily one of my favorites from Magic Band members, you can’t help but smile when thinking about Mark. He’s been through some rough weather, including his health scares, and yet he’s still the same Mark we’ve known and loved all the years.
Happy birthday Mark! Thank you for all you have given us and look forward to more.
___________________
Patrick Moore is a freehand drawing artist and freelance music writer.
By Nita Balani
TORONTO: Finally, Satya Paul fashion comes to Canada with the opening of a store in Brampton!
I certainly could not believe what I was seeing. Another jewel in the crown for Brampton - the opening of the acclaimed designer Satya Paul's first flagship store in the Western Hemisphere and in particular, in Canada, has certainly made waves in our city.
After all, Paul is one of India's greatest fashion designers and is often referred to as the "Picasso" of the fashion industry (at least for me and thousands of women) as his works are so avant-garde and well ahead of his times.
The store in Brampton is classy and stylish and at the same time warm, welcoming, and cosy. It has extremely friendly staff. The walls are lined with beautiful saris in all the colours of the rainbow and in a multitude of styles from the modern digital prints on georgettes to iconic embellished work on silks.
There is a suitable Satya Paul piece for every budget. The store has a well-stocked accessories section for those of us who are looking for scarves or clutches or handbags and wallets and even ties, cufflinks and pocket squares for a gift to our significant other.
Satya Paul is well known for his signature flamboyance in the art of creating saris and use of colours and designs and rich textured fabrics. He is well known for reinventing the traditional sari and breathing new life into the sari as a modern and sexy classic piece for the intelligent global woman of today.
Satya Paul's saris are worn the world over by women who are famous and can be seen on the international red carpet of many premier events. In fact, well-known Canadian actress Lisa Rani Ray, who recently got married, wore a beautiful Satya Paul creation for her wedding as the only Indian ethnic piece she selected for her wedding.
The sari was a stunning piece specially commissioned and designed for her in georgette highlighted with beige gota and patti work.
Over the years several leading actresses and international celebrities have been seen wearing these works of art - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (an exquisite polka dot sari nobody can forget) Bipasha Basu, Jacqueline Fernandes, Malaika Arora.
Satya Paul fashion's only aim is to creatively dress his muse - the global woman of today. "The designs and styles are for women of intelligence and ambition while never losing sight of their femininity inspiring confidence."
The stunning bridal wear is every bride's dream come true as it includes rich textures in silks, chiffons, and georgettes delicately and intricately worked on and embellished with traditional bead, crystal and handwork coming together in a work of art fit for a queen.
The rich palette of colours ranges from pale blushing pinks to deep rosy reds to bold purples and magentas all finely balanced with gold or silver or jewel tones to create the richness every bride looks for in her outfit without sacrificing sophistication and class. Each of his saris are like diamonds unique and classy and they are highly valued and cherished through the generations. The latest sari collections are in exquisite French lace which melts the heart of even the most hardened women. Delicately feminine and yet strong and sexy and still classical and timeless at the same time
The collections also include salwaar kameezes, anarkalis with churidaars and stunning zardozi and patchwork for evening or cocktail wear. As a natural extension, Satya Paul also has a collection of cocktail dresses and evening gowns for all special occasions. Each outfit can be suitably matched with accessories from clutches to evening bags to complete the look.
The Spring 2013 collection is all about introducing the retro with a new and modern look. Satya Paul fashion delves into "rich archives of print and colour and harmonizes the two with a futuristic rendering" as Tami Ismail, franchise owner explains, and 'extensive use of metallic and foil finishes with crystal and bead embellishments" can be seen in his latest collection.
I have been following Satya Paul fashion since the 80's have seen him grow over the years as one of India's leading and innovative fashion designers and saw him on the Pune Fashion week 2010 launch his mystical Art of Tarot collection with a fantabulous show stopper modelled by Miss India Universe Ushoshi Sengupta was certainly not to be missed. Satya Paul's collections are truly an inspiration for every woman to look and feel and be global, confident, and sexy.
The boutique is a must see stop in Brampton for all brides-to-be- as well as for all fashionistas looking for that something special to add to their collection and a definite stop for festive shopping to gift to your significant other! We welcome Satya Paul to Toronto and look forward to viewing his latest collections up close and be one of the first to grab them.
Deeya Malhotra: Hi, just called the store @ (905) 670-4006, an its a law office # in Toronto. Can someone pls provide me a phone number for the Toronto store.
Am trying to get hold of someone. Either the store in Mississauga or in Brampton ASAP.
Thank you
DDee
Satya Paul Canada: Hi Sabina,
Anything purchased directly on the website is through Satya Paul India and we have no control over these purchases. You will have to email them directly to sort out the issue.
Going forward however, anything you see online can be ordered through us at the Brampton store and we will price match what you see online as well as offer FREE shipping.
We look forward to having you in the store soon and serving you.
Cheers,
Tami
Nita: Hi Sabina, I am just the freelance writer who wrote this article. However I have passed on your message to them on FB. Hopefully, they will respond.
Good luck. Nita
sabina ahuja: Maybe The authorized Dealer in Brampton can help me. Please forward my message to Satya paul TEAM.
Sabina ahuja: HI THERE,
I had ordered RD6102-00/SB532-0010 but received Item Code : RD6107-00/SB778-0002 Which is not the correct saree. I have emailed a few times and messaged you on FACEBOOK BUT HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM YOUR TEAM. I READ YOUR Policy on your website and it clearly says: However, if the product is wrongfully delivered (product doesn’t match the item in the order confirmation) or has a genuine quality/manufacturing defect, then we are open to extending full refund or re-fulfilling your order.
I NEED AN ANSWER AND IF YOU COULD SEND ME THE RIGHT SAREE THAT IS RD6102-00/SB532-0010 THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
HOPE TO HEAR BACK SOON AND FOLLOWING ATTACHED ARE ALL THE DETAILS. I RECEIVED THE SAREE ON July 18 2014.
Nita: HI Rashida, you can call the store and find out or look online or even Facebook page.But it has something for every budget and some nice stuff! I am just a freelance writer. Thanks
Rashida: What price range are your saris? What is the cheapest one?
Nita: Hi Samit,
The store is at 7980 Kennedy Road South Unit A3 (SW corner of Kennedy & Steeles), Brampton, ON L6W 0A2
(905) 455-7285 Must check it out ! Thanks Nita
Samit: I just read this great article on Satya Paul's new store in Brampton. Just a question...what's the address of this store? It would have been nice to know where it is!! 
