Musicians
Paul Cabri,has done what most musicians haven't,and that's worked as a musician,teacher and
gigging player for many decades.
"When you are in a creative field mindset, the desire to get better and try new things never goes away" --Paul Cabri
Paul has been a hard working and dedicated musician in the New York area since the 80’s,and
has been a music teacher and faculty member of several music schools.
Paul’’s Session Playing Resume:
Paul has performed as a sideman for various solo artists and opened for headliners such as Meatloaf (with the band Clilly & East of Urban), Howard Jones, and KC & The Sunshine Band
Paul: My playing has been featured on the recordings of Elisa Peimer (Hope Tunes), Lee (The Square Egg, LLC), J-Hype (Mental Instruments Records), John Russo (Musicreations Records) Mike Hirsch (M-Sol Productions) and Jefferson Thomas (Evanworks Music). Some of My compositions and solo work can be heard on a solo recording, CROSSOVER, an EP I released in 2009 comprised of six instrumental pieces.
Paul’s Music Teaching
Paul is a non-stop machine of music and guitar teaching in the New York area Paul coaches a guitar ensemble group,and rock band at The Village Community School In NY City,and even more,he gives private lessons!
Paul also wrote the Syllabus for the guitar class offered at St. Francis College in Brooklyn NY as part of the school’s new music minor program. Finally,Paul is a Guitar Teacher at Leman Manhattan Prep’s Music Conservatory in New York.
Paul is both a hard working music teacher,and session player,which I think goes back to his days as a touring musician who is totally dedicated to music,and teaching others. Paul’s Session Playing On Various Artist Albums:Both Live and Studio :
Point Of View 1990
Elisa Peimer 2000 to 2010--Currently doing sessions with Elisa
John Russo 80’s and 90’s
Jefferson Thomas 90’s
Buddy Banks (Periodic Sessions For Decades)
Paul has also done a number of one up sessions and shows with solo songwriters in New York,but done so many he couldn’t remember them all. I wish most players could say that.
List Of Sessions Paul Has Done:
Paul Cabri, Crossover (Guitarisms Records)
J-Hype, The Acoustic Sessions (Mental Instrument Records)
Lee, 16 Reasons To Buy This Album (The Square Egg, LLC)
Lee, Naked (The Square Egg, LLC)
Lee, Meet Lee (The Square Egg, LLC)
P.O.V., Point of View (Casual Panic Music)
Elisa Peimer, Inside The Glass (Hope Productions)
Elisa Peimer, Pull Of The Moon (Hope Productions)
Elisa Peimer, Shed This Skin (Hope Productions)
Elisa Peimer, Transparent (Hope Productions)
John Russo, Come On With Me (Musicreations Records)
John Russo, Two Weeks From Tuesday (Musicreations Records)
Jefferson Thomas, Barbarian’s Ballroom (Evanworks Music)
Various Artists, It’s About Eve: Music For The Cure (Fore Reel Entertainment)
Various Artists, Never Give You Up (P&C Nightlife Records)
Various Artists, We’ll Carry On (West Street Records)
W.R., Walter Rivers (Buddy Boy Records)
The Way, Dream Street (ICAR Productions)
Paul:”Playing songwriter sessions isn’t necessarily lucrative, but it can be very rewarding”.
As far as performing I play in a cover band in the city, Flight of Sound (www.flightofsound.com ) and occasionally pick up a songwriter showcase but that’s it. Paul’s music teaching has taken over a big part of his professional life,and any recording and session work has been mainly through the internet which makes it more convenient for Paul’s schedule as a music pro.
Paul also says that the musicians that he is working with these days aren’t recording CDs as much,but recording and marketing different versions of the same song for sale in different markets on a global basis.
Paul also talks about being a gigging musician in the past doing back to back gigs for business, weddings and the club scene,but states he has no desire to go back to that type of life as a working musician. Paul talked about the relevance of the DJ today,and the fact a lot of clubs who used to book bands find it easier and more lucrative to book a DJ and get bigger crowds and paying customers. You can still do well as a gigging player,but it’s truly hard work,and you better understand the economics and literally be your own accountant and keep a hawk eye on expenses going out,versus money being made for a band.
Paul gave me an exhaustive list of some of the clubs he’s played at in New York City and the Tri-tate area. I literally need a an old Rolodex to keep track of it. This shows how committed Paul was to be a successful working musician.
But I get the feeling Paul is quite happy and content being a music teacher seeing his pupils learn the amazing craft of being an accomplished musician,than being on the road the majority of the year,and being a session player in the internet age.
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Below are is a list of some of the places locally that I played in years past, many of which aren’t even around anymore.
Acme Underground
A.D.
The Alphabet Lounge
The Angry Squire
Arlene's Grocery
The Artery Festival
Arthur's St. Moritz (NJ)
The Baby Grand
The Baggot Inn
Barnes & Noble
Bar East
Bar 169
Bayfest 2011 & 12
The Bay House
Big Shots (NJ)
The Bitter End
Briody's (NJ)
Borders
The Brooklyn Arts Council
(BACA) Performances
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
Café Le Figaro
Café 111
The Cat Club
Cave Canem
CBGB's
CBGB's Gallery
Cha Cha's (of Coney Island)
The Charleston House
The Claddagh (NJ)
The C-Note
Coda
Connolly's Klub 45
The Cornelia St. Cafe
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
The Darkstar Lounge
Downtime
The Downtown
(opening for Howard Jones)
The Duplex
The Elbow Room
Emma's Beach House (NJ)
Eureka Joe's
Fat Baby
The 55 Bar
The Forked River House (NJ)
Gabriel's (NJ)
The Goldstein Theatre
(at Kingsborough C.C.)
Googie's Lounge
The Harvest Festival
Indiegrrl Showcases
The International Pop
Overthrow Festival
Jalopy
Jenkinson's Inlet (NJ)
Joe's Pub
Kenny's Castaways
The Knitting Factory
Krogh's (NJ)
Krone's (NJ)
The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
(at LaGuardia C.C.)
La Tavern
Le Bar Bat
The Limelight
The Lion's Den
The Local 269
The Lonestar Roadhouse
The Lovinger Theatre
(at Lehman College)
The Luna Lounge
Make Music New York
McLynn's (NJ)
Meow Mix
The Mercury Lounge
The Milk Bar
The Mt. Vernon Public Library
Mugsy's Bar (NJ)
The National College Bookers
Convention (PA)
The New Music Cafe'
The New Music Seminar
The NYC Marathon
Nick's Jersey Pub (NJ)
Nightingales
Nirvana
Parkside Lounge
Pianos
Queensfest
(opening for Meatloaf)
Rare
The R Bar
ReBar
The Red Lion
Reminisce Lounge
Renaissance Hotel
Rockwood Music Hall
Ruby Fruit Bar
The Sanctuary
St. Patrick's Church
The Scene
Session 73
Siberia
Smith's Bar
The South Street Seaport
The Spiral
Symphony Space
Thai Rock
Tir Na Nog
Tramps
Two Boots
The Underground Lounge
Union Square Park
The Village Lantern
The Waldbaum's Balloon Festival
(opening for KC & the Sunshine Band)
The Waldorf Astoria
Webster Hall
Wetlands
Wicked Willy's
The Yankee Doodle Tap Room (NJ)
YMCA
Paul’s Gear:
Paul isn’t a big gear hound,which most of my readers are--but Paul can teach players more than he thinks about choosing the right gear for the music he or she plays. And his pupils should learn all they can about the gear they use.
In this part about gear from Paul: I am putting everything he said verbatim about it.
Finally, regarding gear, OK Mark I don’t like talking about gear but I’ll give it a try. I’ve always veered toward Fender and Music Man amps because I love their warmth and clean sound and tube amps at that; although I’m really liking the new Quiltar amps which are solid state I tend to play out using a small 110 or 112 RD 50 Music Man amp (sometimes both) that I bought back in the stone age.
Paul’s Pedal/Effects Arsenal:
My pedal board has a Boss Tuner, a Carl Martin Parametric EQ, a Vox Ice 9 Overdrive, a Fulltone OCD Distortion, a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay (sometimes 2) a Boss High Band Flanger, an old TC Electronics Chorus--and a new TC Electronics Hall Of Fame Reverb. If I’m using a Strat or Tele I’ll add an EBS Multi Comp Compressor.
Guitars:
My favorite guitars are a 2002 Gibson SG Standard, a fairly new Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Sport, a 1990 (I think) Hamer Daytona Strat, A 1990 Taylor 515 acoustic, an 1980 Ibanez LR-10 Semi Hollow and an old Gibson A50 Mandolin. I’ve got other amps and guitars but these are the ones I use most of the time.
Strings
One last thing, you asked about strings. I use D’Addario (regular light gauge) EXL110-10P’s on all the electric guitars, and D’Addario Phosphor Bronze (light guage) EJ16-3d’s on my acoustic steel. When I play on a classical guitar I use D’Addario EJ46 (hard tension) strings, and finally my mandolin has D’Addario Phosphor Bronze Wound J74s – I hope that covers it.
If anything players I hope you took notes on Paul’s gear choices and how he uses certain guitars pedals and strings for specific playing situations.
From Paul:
Maybe the best thing about all of this is that as musicians we never stop learning, and that keeps it fun and interesting. As teachers we get to pass on what we’ve spent our lifetimes learning to a new generation, and see other people get to experience the joy of music for the
first time.
Paul is a an accomplished musician that most wish they could be. He is happy and enjoying teaching others become better musicians and people.
If you’re in New York City,look Paul up and learn from him. Not many people do what they want as musicians,and I get the feeling Paul enjoys teaching and seeing kids and young adults become accomplished musicians.
Thank you to Paul Cabri for taking the time to do this interview. I didn’t have to change a lot of the text in the interview. So,get off your butt and learn something from Paul on playing guitar, doing session work,or just becoming a gigging musician.
Paul’s contact info is just below this.
Best
Paul Cabri
www.paulcabri.com
(718) 614-2824
paulcabri@gmail.com or paulcabriguitarstudio@gmail.com
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