Star Bass

Each month we celebrate the great – and rather less great! – work of an acclaimed bass player. This month: Abraham Laboriel

We take a moment to stand in awe of Abraham Laboriel

With over 4000 recordings under his belt, Abraham Laboriel López Sr. is rightly heralded as a legend of the bass. Hailing from Mexico City, he studied at the Berklee College of Music, where his classical guitar training gave him a huge advantage in technique when he turned to the low end. None other than Henry ‘Pink Panther’ Mancini advised him to get stuck in to the LA session scene in the 1970s, and since then Laboriel has recorded with countless names in the industry. His back catalogue includes work with Elton John, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Leo Sayer, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Madonna and Stevie Wonder, and he’s also found time to record several solo albums with his son, Abe Laboriel Jr, on drums; the latter also tub-thumps for Paul McCartney. His four-finger plucking – actually three fingers and thumb – is testament to those classical guitar beginnings, and fans of technique have studied Laboriel’s beautiful, expressive style for decades. Left-hand tapping and paradiddles with both hands are only the start of it; he is a true phenomenon.