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Abraham Laboriel

#21
Ab definitely has a slapping, plucking, thumping, ... like none other. I have his bass instruction video. This will be a collectors item for me. The Yamaha RB series bass was one of his favorites back in the day. He had a Fender jazz but the picups/electronics were changed. He played this when studios ask for a Fender sound. They thought it was great sounding jazz but they did not know it had different picups/electronics.

Shane
 
#22
when i picked up the bass in the early 80's he was one the bass-heroes named together with players like marcus, jaco,stanley clarke and he played with everybody!! you couldn't pick up a r&b,fusion,soul or funkrecord where he wasn't playing on. he was a great inspiration for me and he is in my opinion one of the foundations of modern bassplaying
and he had a funny bass that no bassplayer would even concider playing on
 
#23
scraig said:
Ab Laborial was originally with a group in LA called Quininia (my spelling is no good). The original group was Ab, Alex Accunia, and I can't remember the guitar player. This is a great album if you can get your hands on this one. I have cassets only. It is all intrumental for the most part. Also the CD that Ab and his son (plays drums) put out is good too.
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not to pick on your spelling but it's "Koinonia"

The guitarist is Hadley Hockensmith. I've got the vinyl. (how old am I anyway?)
 
#25
Its interesting to read this thread on Abe Laboriel. When I first heard him in 1982, I'd been playing double bass exclusively for almost 20 years in primarily small jazz-group settings (three to six pieces). I heard a cut from a Koinonia album on a local jazz station in Norfolk, VA and was really impressed. It was hearing Laboriel on that album that gave me the desire to learn EBG. I tried to find new copies of that album due to wearing it out, but never did. As far as I know, it has never been reissued on CD. I don't recall the name of the guitarist, but everyone on that date was just great to listen to, Alex Acuna on percussion and Bill Maxwell on drums. If I recall correctly, they were all studio musicians in LA who were also Christians, thus the name Koinonia. He has been one bassist I always enjoy listening to. Great player!
 
#26
scraig said:
Ab Laborial was originally with a group in LA called Quininia (my spelling is no good). The original group was Ab, Alex Accunia, and I can't remember the guitar player. This is a great album if you can get your hands on this one. I have cassets only. It is all intrumental for the most part. Also the CD that Ab and his son (plays drums) put out is good too.
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That group later became known as "FriendShip" which added a very young guitarist by the name of Lee Ritenour. :). Abe was doing the double plucking,and to handed tapping way back in the 70's but being that he studied flamingo guitar for quite sometime I think he really incorporated this technique quite well along with the other styles that we've grown accustom to hearing from our younger comtemporary bassist.
 
#28
Abe has been using Ares 8-string bass, (not the wide neck), carvin, yamaha, fender p-bass and valley arts custom(I haven't seen it though..)..etc - he has over 50 bass from various endorse deals..

Thesedays, he's using james tyler, status graphite, yamaha, and Le duc from France exclusively.(You can see his Le duc bass on 'Sing out' w/ Ron Kenoly from hosana.)

Most of time he uses SWR amp, for the small jazz or latin gig, he usually carries SWR baby blue. When he's on tour, he uses similar kind of rigs w/ Avalon U-5 pre-amp/DI.

as you can see from other posts, Abraham Sr. started his career w/ Henry mancini, Koinonia, later on w/ Lee ritenour, Al jarreu, Hosana, Larry Carlton, Stanley clark, George benson, Chaka khan, and some movie sound track include 'Mexican'(Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts)

I saw him him several times in the studio or club, few things that make him as one of the legendary player are unique style, musicianship, and personality. If you keep listen way he plays, he has so distinctive tone, phrasing, and technique that you'll be identify him in any records without reading credit. In addition, lots of producer like to work w/ Abraham 'cause because of his warm personality, mood in the studio is always better w/ Abraham. Of course, we don't need to mention his ability to read and listen to the others.

oh..by the way, until his early 20's he use to do guitar session.
 
#29
I saw his instructional video. Sat down to learn some of the stuff and realized he was just giving away his style. He does tons of cool little things with all these crazy techniques he's come up with. He has real long fingernails that he rakes the strings with to get all these percussive tones. It was cool but I didn't really gain anything from it.

Kind of like I couldn't play this fast with two fingers so I found a way to do it with all five. It was really cool to see some of the stuff he came up with. I haven't heard much of his playing or recordings, but there was no doubt from that video that he was an absolute monster!!

Yeah, guys got skills. :bassist:
 
#33
Abe is absolutely all about the music. The bass is just the
vehicle. I watched him once do a tv show live to tape. On
the stage he had a bass stand tree with a 5 string Yamaha
frettless acoustic electric. (only sold in Japan) His Goya 4
string, with the tightest string spacing I've ever seen. A
Tyler 5 with the fattest neck in town, and I think a Valley
Arts "Fender" type of 4 string. He moved between all these
basses without any thought of adjusting to neck size, string
spacing, fretted, frettless, 4 or 5 string etc, etc. He also
gave me a priceless lesson on how to play strong and assured
when you are completely lost. This is a skill I have used over
and over and over again. He is a sweet, loving, musical
bassist who is repected by vertually every "top level" bassist
in the country. Most people who know him, can't say enough
about him.
 
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#34
I'd love to hear more on Abe's thoughts on playing strong when lost as this is somthing we all have to deal with from time to time.

Thanks,

KT


B String said:
Abe is absolutely all about the music. The bass is just the
vehicle. I watched him once do a tv show live to tape. On
the stage he had a bass stand tree with a 5 string Yamaha
frettless acoustic electric. (only sold in Japan) His Goya 4
string, with the tightest string spacing I've ever seen. A
Tyler 5 with the fattest neck in town, and I think a Valley
Arts "Fender" type of 4 string. He moved between all these
basses without any thought of adjusting to neck size, string
spacing, fretted, frettless, 4 or 5 string etc, etc. He also
gave me a priceless lesson on how to play strong and assured
when you are completely lost. This is a skill I have used over
and over and over again. He is a sweet, loving, musical
bassist who is repected by vertually every "top level" bassist
in the country. Most people who know him, can't say enough
about him.
Click to expand...
 
#35
Abe's old band was a Christian band called "Koinonia". I've since lost the cassette I had of their live record, but it was amazing. For all you young cats, a cassette was the chosen format for music listening, before CD's.

Abe is a legend. He used to live around the corner from my folks, in Woodland Hills, CA. I'd drop in and knock on his door from time to time, and he was very gracious.

It's not difficult to find tracks that he's played on, either. He is definitely one of "The Cats" in L.A. He also has an instruction video, that teaches some of his techniques. I recommend it. He is a badass, for sure. I've never seen anyone who is so at one with his instrument. Very inspiring.
 
#36
:hyper: Wounded Bird has just reissued one of my favorite records with Abraham playing bass is a Lee Ritenour recording titled Friendship (1979 Electra) and it has just been released as a 2fer with The Captain's Journey. Abe plays bass on all tracks except one that has Anthony Jackson on bass. He slaps, grooves, plays melody and counter point, takes some wonderful solos and even does a scat bass melody line. Not to mention the death defying bass line on Let's Not Talk About It, which is also reprised on Don Grusin's The Hang (almost worth the price of the cd). Alex Acuna plays drums and takes one of the best drum solos ever on the outro of the ballad The Real Thing. There was also another cd titled Friendship on the JVC label that is quite good as well.
 
#39
urb_munki said:
Abe's (hopefully) coming to London in June for a one off date at the Jazz cafe on June 30th with Lee Ritenoir and Alex Acuna - I am definitely going to catch this one!

M
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Alex Acuna is a tremondously underrated DRUMMER, everyone thinks of his percussion skills, but He is GREAT on the kit! Man that should be a great show
 
#40
Can anyone confirm that it's him playing on Pixar's "The Incredibles", is seen recording @ 22:15 in the "Making of..." feature as well as 2:55 in the "Music" section of "More Making..." being very happy in a control room on the DVD bonus features? Looks like him playing a playing dark-wooded natural finshed six-string Tyler

If so, I'm stealing that groove from him. Let the bass police arrest me. :D
 

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