Abe Laboriel, Jr.

Abe Laboriel Jr.
Playing as sideman with Paul McCartney in Tel Aviv, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Abraham Laboriel Jr.
Born	March 23, 1971, age 42
Origin	Los Angeles, California United States
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Vocals, drums, percussion, bass, guitar, piano
Years active	1980s–present

Abe Laboriel Jr. is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. and brother of record producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel. He has been the drummer for famed rock musician Paul McCartney as well as the French singer Mylène Farmer, among others.

Early life

The son of jazz bass master Abraham Laboriel, Sr., Abe grew up playing drums starting at age four.

Laboriel was mentored by well known percussionists and drummers, including Jeff Porcaro, Chester Thompson, Bill Maxwell and Alex Acuña, who had formed the band Koinonia with his father in the 1980s.

He attended the Dick Grove School of Music, studying with Peter Donald, during his junior year in high school. He also attended the Hamilton High School Academy of Music with Manny Marroquin, and is responsible for Marroquin changing his career from drumming to mixing. in Los Angeles in his senior year. In 1989, he was honored by the National Foundation For The Advancement Of The Arts and Down Beat magazine. He then enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated in 1993.

Career

Laboriel's first break as a drummer was a tour with guitarist Steve Vai. He then toured with Seal, with whom he was seen by many record producers around Los Angeles, California which led to session work. Laboriel next toured with k.d. lang for a while, where Sting saw him play with her, leading Laboriel to join Sting's touring band. The k.d. lang connection also led Laboriel to working with Paul McCartney, including McCartney's appearance during the halftime of Super Bowl XXXIX. He also toured and recorded on studio with former Menudo member, Robi Draco Rosa on his album Vagabundo.

Laboriel has also recorded and performed with Crystal Lewis, Shakira, B.B. King, Sting, Steven Curtis Chapman, Eric Clapton, Johnny Hallyday, Jenifer, Steve Winwood, Les Paul, Ashlee Simpson, LeAnn Rimes, Vanaz, Mylène Farmer, Letters to Cleo, Vanessa Carlton, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Tyler Bryant and others. Lewis and Laboriel were also both a part of the Nickelodeon Television Series, Roundhouse in the 1990s.

Laboriel was part of a power trio by the name of The Raging Honkies. He is part of the collective that is Chocolate Genius, Inc.

In 2006, in the show "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" (in English, "Before the shadow... at Bercy"), Laboriel sang "Les Mots" (in English, "the words") in duet with Mylène Farmer. He also played with Sting at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year.

Laboriel toured with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood on their 14-date American Tour in 2009 following their Japanese tour the year before. He made his live debut with Paul McCartney at The Concert for New York City in 2001 and has played on every McCartney tour since then.

Drum equipment

Drums

Drum Workshop

20x28" Bass Drum

8x14" Striaght VLT (no hoops) Snare Drum

12x15"(VLT w/3ply hoops) Rack Tom

16x18"(X w/3ply hoops) Floor Tom

16x20"(VLX w/3ply hoops) Floor Tom

Pedals and Hardware

5002AD4 Accelerator Double Pedal

5500TD 2-leg Delta Hi-Hat Stand

9300 Snare Drum Stand (x2)

9710 Low Straight/Boom Cymbal Stand (x4)

DWSM912 1/2x18" Cymbal Arm

DWSM9212 1/2x18" C-Hat Arm w/MG-3

9120AL Tractor AirLift Drum Throne

Cymbals

Paiste

15" 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hat

22" 2002 Crash

24" 2002 Ride

24" 2002 Crash

Sticks

Vic Firth Abe Laboriel Jr. (SAL):

Long and thick for plenty of power. Gradual taper delivers great rebound and overall feel. L = 17" | Dia. = .630"

Discography

Main article: Abe Laboriel, Jr. discography