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Abraham Laboriel

Abraham Laboriel is a world renowned bassist and the founder of the band KOINONIA. He was born and raised in Mexico City where he received his earliest musical training from his father, a gifted guitarist and composer. His first recording was at age 10 as part of a "rock and roll" group called "Los Traviesos". After performing in Mexico thru his teen years as both a musician and an actor, he moved to Boston where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the Berklee School of Music in 1972. During that time he recorded with faculty member, famed vibraphonist Gary Burton. He traveled with Johnny Mathis, Michel Legrand, and Henry Mancini and moved to Los Angeles in 1976 to begin a very diverse and fruitful studio recording career.

He has performed and recorded with many jazz artists including George Benson, Larry Carlton, the Crusaders, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Al Jarreau, John Klemmer, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Pass, Joe Sample, Lalo Shifrin, Diane Schuur, Sara Vaughan, and Joe Zawinul. He recorded with Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts, and Alex Acuna in a band called "Friendship" and has continued to record and travel with Lee and Dave Grusin for GRP Records. He also has been much in demand for work with artists like Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Jeffrey Osborne, Chaka Khan, Robbie Robertson, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Loggins, Ruben Blades and countless others. He was in fact voted by his peers in the LA Chapter of NARAS as the "Most Valuable Player" in the Bass chair for the three years in a row, joining Ray Brown and Chuck Domanico in that honor.

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Education

Music Education Monday: Master classes with bassist Abraham Laboriel

Music Education Monday: Master classes with bassist Abraham Laboriel

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week for Music Education Monday, you can check out a couple of master classes with the veteran bassist Abraham Laboriel. Since graduating from Berklee and beginning his career in the early 1970s, the 69-year-old Laboriel (pictured) has played thousands of sessions, working on TV and film soundtracks and with top names in jazz, rock, pop, and contemporary Christian music including Al Jarreau, George Benson, Andy Summers, Barbra Streisand, Billy Cobham, Dave Grusin, Dolly Parton, Donald Fagen, Elton John, Freddie ...

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Education

Abraham Laboriel, Patrice Rushen, and Steve Gadd to Welcome Entering Class, Accept Honorary Degrees at Berklee College of Music Fall Convocation 2005

Abraham Laboriel, Patrice Rushen, and Steve Gadd to Welcome Entering Class, Accept Honorary Degrees at Berklee College of Music Fall Convocation 2005

Source: All About Jazz

BOSTON, August 19, 2005 — Abraham Laboriel, Patrice Rushen, and Steve Gadd will receive honorary doctor of music degrees for their outstanding contributions to music and culture at the Berklee College of Music 2005 Entering Student Convocation, Friday, September 19, at the Berklee Performance Center (this event is not open to the public). The honorees, Berklee President Roger A. Brown, and Vice President for Student Affairs Lawrence E. Bethune, will welcome the Berklee entering class of 2009, with approximately 815 ...

Jeff Bernstein
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