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Labor of Love
Bassist Abraham Laboriel returns to his alma mater to talk about the joy of musical conversation.
By Rob Hochschild and Kevin Levesque
December 11, 2001
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Photo by Kim Grant |
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There are no official statistics on this sort of thing, but Abraham Laboriel '72 just may be the most recorded electric bassist ever. He has performed on more than 3,000 sessions and, according to his All Music Guide entry, has appeared on more than 600 albums, not including reissues and compilations. Almost as remarkable as the number of musicians with whom he has collaborated is the variety of styles those artists represent. Laboriel's discography includes sessions with Ella Fitzgerald, John Denver, Michael Jackson, Joe Pass, Leonard Cohen, Stan Getz, Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Clint Black, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Ziggy Marley, k.d. lang, and Hanson.
Such a high level of musical fluency, versatility, and accomplishment might leave lesser individuals with a bloated sense of self-worth. But Laboriel, who visited Berklee recently for a series of clinics, comes across as a humble man, one who is grateful to be a musician and to be able to share his love of music with others.
Laboriel's late October visit was the first of three teaching sessions to take place as part of an appointment as a Herb Alpert Visiting Professor. He opened a master class in the Berklee Performance Center with a solo bass improvisation and later played in a trio format with guitar and drums. Amidst topics ranging from basic time feel to the role of the bass player, Laboriel also touched on some of the tougher psychological obstacles he faced as a musician throughout his career, including his years at Berklee.
"I guess I shouldn't be ashamed to admit that my first two years at Berklee were spent in tears," Laboriel said about the period in a Berklee Today interview. "I was very upset to not be able to function at the same level as all the other students...[but] teachers kept encouraging me and believing in me and rooting for me."
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| Bassist/Vocalist Jenn Oberle brings a song to a close while Abraham Laboriel applauds the band. |
| Photo by Kim Grant |
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By the time he graduated, Laboriel was writing music for and performing with the college's top ensembles. Within months of his graduation, he landed gigs with Count Basie, Johnny Mathis, and Gary Burton. He came to think of his style of bass playing as his voice and welcomed gigs as opportunities to lend his voice to a song or project.
"It is my great joy to have musical conversations with other players," he told the students. "It's about listening to what people have to say and reacting to it."
Laboriel reflected upon the importance of musicians being open to criticism and praise. He encouraged students to disengage their egos and welcome suggestions from other musicians as sources of inspiration, not negativity.
Laboriel followed up his BPC clinic with an ensemble master class the next day in the David Friend Recital Hall. He listened to three student bands perform and gave advice to performers between each tune, addressing the players individually about their strengths and areas for improvement. He stressed dynamics and the importance of band members supporting each other, pointing in particular to the role of the bassist.
"The bass player builds the house that all other players get to live in," Laboriel said.
The next night, Laboriel demonstrated his homebuilding skills when he played a concert for the Berklee community. He performed with a student band put together by his son Mateo Laboriel, a guitarist and the second of Laboriel's sons to also attend Berklee.
Laboriel's next trip as a Herb Alpert Visiting Professor will take place in 2002.
Berklee graphic designer Kevin Levesque is a bassist working in the North Shore area of Massachusetts.
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