Abe Laboriel Jr. Keeps Time for Sir Paul

Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

iHeartPodcasts

Tv & Film, Music, Music Interviews, Arts, Performing Arts, Film Interviews

4.4 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 June 2022

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Abe Laboriel Jr. is the drummer on speed dial for some of the biggest names in the music business, including Eric Clapton, k.d. lang, Eddie Vedder, Melissa Etheridge…and Paul McCartney, as member of McCartney’s band for the past two decades. Son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel and nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, the Berklee-College-of Music-trained drummer has music in his blood. He’s also had the pleasure of playing some of the biggest stages in the world: the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilees. Abe tells Alec why drums are his instrument of choice, what it’s like to jam with Sir Paul, and how he tethers great musicians back to the band.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing from I Heart Radio.
0:31.0	You don't have love for you, oh boy. Back in the US, there's a lot.
0:36.0	When you think of the rhythm section of the Beatles, Paul McCartney on bass guitar and Ringo's star on drums immediately come to mind.
0:45.0	But my guest today has played with Paul McCartney longer than Ringo's star.
0:50.0	He's been a member of Paul's band for two decades.
0:54.0	He's also played with Eric Clapton, Chris Isaac, Katie Lang, Sting, Myline Farmer, Steve Winwood, the list goes on and on.
1:04.0	I'm talking of course about the illustrious drummer, Abe Laboreal Jr.
1:09.0	This is Abe on drums with Paul McCartney performing back in the USSR live in New York City.
1:17.0	Musical talent of this caliber runs deep in the Laboreal family.
1:23.0	His father, Mexican bass guitarist, Abraham Laboreal and his uncle, Mexican rocker Johnny Laboreal were both accomplished musicians in their own right.
1:33.0	Abe, a Berkeley School of Music trained musician, has a particular view of his role in a band.
1:40.0	To me, the drummer is in service of the music number one, number two, to lead to drive the bus, if you will, to tell people where to go, pay attention to everything.
1:54.0	I see my job as listener first, then I have to do.
1:58.0	But first I have to listen, you know, to really hear what's going on and I can hear when someone's maybe falling behind or a little bit lost or forgotten something.
2:07.0	And so I have to be paying attention to all of that.
2:11.0	And then on top of that, like for me, Keith Moon was like a lead drummer, you know, like Pete Townsend held the rhythm together while Keith played lead guitar on the drums.
2:22.0	It's funny, it's something my dad and I would always speak of.
2:25.0	My dad is a great musician, you know, like he, when he plays live, he believes that half the audience is deaf and the other half is blind.
2:34.0	And so you have to be able to reach all of them, you know, so you can't, for me, I just can't sit still and pretend like I'm not in it with my entire soul.
2:44.0	You know, I have to try and reach every single person out there.
2:48.0	You grew up in LA.
2:49.0	Yeah, born in Boston.
	...

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