Best of Both Worlds
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It was a fortunate meeting that led to Frank Comantale designing the studio. "Believe it or not, I knew him because he was in a band with people that I eventually joined back in the day. Frank and the guys were all from Ozone Park. They were recording at RCA actually, when I met them. And I told one of the guys I was into recording and I wanted to build a room. I would say I was one of the first 'project studios'."
Sabella has a reputation for nurturing, supporting and encouraging his diverse client list, sharing a vast musical expertise that few in the world can offer. A classically trained guitarist who studied with Grand Master Rodrigo Riera, Sabella attended the University of Venezuela, Mannes College of Music and the prestigious Julliard School of Music in Manhattan. In the mid-70s, he was a session guitar player in various studios and clubs, and in the the early 80s was signed to RCA Records and MCA Records as an artist. (You can hear his classical guitar playing on MP3.com here). [an error occurred while processing this directive] As a producer, Sabella keeps his eyes open for promising new talent to develop and shop to record labels, using his industry connections. Nine Days, for instance, recently signed a deal with Sony/550 Music.
He is now working with a talented new band called Sound, whom The Island Ear called 'Most Likely to Get Signed." Newsday gave the band top marks for their three song demo "Dharma Kaya," and their single "Sorry" is getting airplay on Long Island radio station WLIR. The band's live shows in Manhattan club have been drawing crowds and generating interest among music executives. Sound is currently back in the studio where Sabella producing three tunes for a new demo, which will be shopped at the labels.
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| Members of Marcy Playground in Sabella Studios' control room. |
"We try to help these bands out, Lorenzo [engineer Lorenzo Famiglietti] and myself, and all the guys here, we work with them. We don't just come in and press the record button or press play on the ProTools. If the arrangement isn't quite right, I suggest it. If they want it. Because, believe me, dealing with musicians, is definitely like being a psychiatrist."
Some bands, of course, are more open to input than others. Sabella says he feels out the musicians to determine their desire for help -- and their willingness to accept it. It's a delicate process that every engineer faces.
"A lot of times, we try to get the whole studio in a vibe. Some guys come in with a chip on their shoulder, but I have a better time with the younger guys because they're open, they're new. We work with Nine Days, very cool guys. They're inexperienced, but I will say this much: When we first worked with them, they were a little stubborn, but they took some ideas and went with it. When they came back from working on the road for a year and a half, they were a new band. Nothing can be better than that for a band.They are a great band now -- I saw it in their eyes and even in the way they talk to you.
"Marcy Playground, the same way. They had some definite ideas, and we helped them. What I do for those bands is I introduce them to new things and new sounds. If they wanna take it, they take it, and a little bit at a time, it sinks in. The young bands, who are very eager, they love it, because they never saw a vintage amp or a console like mine with all these Pultecs on the wall."
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