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Holding down the funky and fat grooving bass lines for the Mark Weston Band is Walt Rangel. A Los Angeles native born to an accomplished musical family, Walt started playing guitar at the tender age of 12 under the loving guidance and mentorship of his older brother, Charlie. With his grandfather having played upright bass and his grandmother violin, this Virgo was provided the catalyst he needed to take his musical endeavors to the next level. He then picked up the bass guitar at age 17 and went on to study music at Los Angeles City College. Walt also had the honor and unique opportunity to study bass guitar under the wing of legendary Jazz great, Bunny Brunel. He was able to cut his teeth into the LA music scene playing bass for an original band called Chaos, refining his chops at such venues as the famous Whiskey A-Go-Go and The Roxy. After relocating to the greater Sacramento area in the late 90's, Walt further pursued his musical aspirations by attending Sacramento City College. Born September 12 and being the natural accomplished musician that he is, Walt provided his talents for numerous Sacramento based local groups such as The Scott Rodell Band, Rhythm Method, The Essentials and Rhythm Coalition to name a few. He also played in an Oregon based band known as Sandy's Beach performing venues up and down the west coast including Alaska. This gave Walt the exciting opportunity to cover many genres and musical styles from Funk and Motown to Rock and even Country. Having performed the Yolo County fair on numerous occasions, his bass influences include but are not limited to John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) , Chris Squire (Yes), Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report), James Jamerson (Motown Recording artist), Verdine White (Earth, Wind and Fire) and Paul McCartney. Walt had the privileged opportunity to pay tribute to Paul by performing an unforgettable performance at Beatlefest 1992. When asked what his top favorite bands of all time were, Walt quickly spouted out; The Beatles, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel. After having met Mark Weston in 2007on a fluke encounter, and performing just one time together, Walt realized this dynamic combination of talents could very well prove to be a force to reckon with, and was not about to tempt fate. He subsequently relocated to the Lake County area and officially joined the band. The ability to play bass and sing innovative harmony lines as well as lead, makes Walt an incomparable asset to The Mark Weston Band.
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Born on July 5, Mark Weston has been an avid music lover virtually most of his life. Having got his first guitar at the tender age of 9, Mark has been strumming, singing and composing ever since and could often be found singing and playings songs from the likes of Jim Croce, James Taylor and John Denver to name a few. At age 18, he had the honored privilage of learning licks from legendary guitarist Mike Wilhelm of Loose Gravel and The Charletons, both popular Bay Area Bands from the 60's and 70's music era. Mark first cut his teeth into live stage performing playing open mic's throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and was a featured guest numerous times on George and The Superstars Of The Future, a local Hayward Cable Access Television Talent Show that aired in the late 70's and early 80's. As a child, Mark's only source of music, an A.M. radio, was a very influential component while developing and forming his musical tastes, affluences and song crafting abilities. As a direct result, Mark's songwriting is rythmically upbeat, melodically driven, hook orientated and methodically arranged with a modern cutting edge giving it a life all it's own. Mark adds, "I'll try out new songs at a gig without telling anyone, just to see their reaction. If nobody notices it, it's a keeper". His anthems of love are sincerely heartfelt and truly inspirational, making them very believable to the listener as evident in his stage performances. Over the years, Mark has corralled and fronted other gigging bands such as Second Sun, Tremor and Jus B Cuz, all Top 40 club acts frequenting venues throughout the Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino tri-county area as well as a few clubs in Napa and Solano counties. Besides guitar, Mark also enjoys playing drums, bass, keyboards and mandolin. He has had the opportunity to showcase some of these talents on some of the original MP3 tracks found at this website as well as on his compilation CD, due to be released by the spring of 2008. Mark has been performing on stage for the better part of 20 years and has shared the stage with the likes of such great acts as: Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and Blackhawk.
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Providing the solid groovin' and dynamic dance beat pocket for the Mark Weston Band is none other than local favorite Scott Slagle on drums and percussion. And that's just the beginning. Not only is Scott an accomplished songwriter in his own right, he composes and arranges many of the vocal harmonies utilized in the group, and sings some of the lead for the band as well. He also plays piano and guitar which he employs while crafting his own original songs. Born a Gemini in Columbus, Ohio, Scott realized his future musical aspirations at the tender age of 11 and dove head first into drums, drums, drums. Having studied under the mentoring direction of Tom Swisher, Scott knew that drums would forever play a vital role in his life. Born May 26 to a musically inclined family, Scott and his siblings were all involved in many Junior High and High School music programs and projects. Having put together his first Rock & Roll band as a young teen with a few of his junior high school buddies, Scott was gigging at an early age hosting many teen dances in his local area. At age 22, he relocated to Mendocino County, California and performed in numerous concerts for the Mendocino College Jazz Band. Before joining The Mark Weston Band in 2007, Scott shared his drumming talents for such cover/original bands as The Ride, The Redwood Band and Art Carnage to name a few. Some of his drum heroes include but are not limited to Buddy Rich, Jon Bonham and Neil Pert. Having honed his style modeling the chops of his favorite drum idols, Scott has truly developed his own approach when mounting the throne. Some of the influences that played a huge role in molding Scott's musical persona include Todd Rundgren, Eutopia, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to name a few. Scott's tight drumming skills and dynamic vocal abilities combined with the fact that he's a well rounded and seasoned player make him a fine and well respected addition to the Mark Weston Band.
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