Doc Gibb's Gem #30: "This I know for Sure"

My dear friend, Doc (Leonard)Gibbs, known as Baba Doc, was a world famous conga drummer who was the first bandleader ever for a nationally televised cooking show--for Emeril Lagasse for over a decade. In his career, he played the conga for so many musicians such as #GroverWashinggton, #AlJarreau, #AnitaBaker, and so many more in his 50+ musical journey. He transitioned on September 15, 2021 (please contribute to his Gofundme- #DocGibbsMemorial). RIP, dear friend!

Below is his "This I know for sure" entry in our book of 33 gems (2018). His gem was # 30 in the book.

"This I know for sure: Music is a healing force in the universe" by Doc Gibbs.

I grew up in Philadelphia in the 1950’s when African Americans were beginning to branch out into parts of the city that were being newly integrated. I remember a few white folks that hadn’t moved from my neighborhood yet and one of them had a pool table in his basement. When his house was sold, the pool table remained, and the new owners invited my father and some of the other men in the neighborhood to come over and socialize, play pool, and enjoy each other’s company. A new day was dawning.

Nevertheless, some things remained the same. My mother’s plight was part of the same story of many black women of her time: She had to stay home to take care of the kids, but she also needed to make money to maintain the household. She did all that she could, from taking care of children, to sewing, to working for a white man who used to bring boxes of stockings over for her to sort through to identify imperfections. Her industriousness was a good role model for me. Like her, I’d always be on the lookout for how to make a buck for the rest of my life.

My father worked for the government and was also a trained vocalist. He was paid as a soloist to sing at a church on Sundays and on special holidays. We always had music in our home and listened to bands like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole, and many other great black singers and musicians of the day.

Starting in the 1930s, Philadelphia became an important city for music and musicians, especially for hand drummers. Such drummers were heavily influenced by music from Africa and the Caribbean. On occasion, they performed in New York where they joined other African American, African, and Caribbean drummers. Personally, I was drawn to the music of drums from the first time I heard them; they drew me in and made me want to join in. When I heard the famous drummer Olatunji’s “Drums of Passion”, I was hooked and knew that playing the drums would be part of my future. ?

In my neighborhood, our heroes were the Jazz musicians who lived nearby and those who had moved from New York to Philadelphia to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. All of these experiences opened my world to music and set the tone for my future.

I attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for a few years, but the love of the drum was in my heart. Once I put together the concept of using congas and percussion instruments in commercial music, I was ready to pursue my career. At first, I played with local bands in town and eventually began going to New York to “sit in” to play with different bands. In the beginning it was rough, most African American hand drummers couldn’t get “gigs” with Latin bands because they only wanted Latin drummers. I didn’t let that stop me, however. I found a way to pursue my passion for playing the conga drums by distinguishing my approach; I used a variety of percussion instruments to enhance the music beyond merely using the conga drums.

As I continued my path in music over the years, I experienced firsthand just how hard it was to make a living in this business. Frequent rejection is a fact of life and a major obstacle to overcome. Being able to handle it and use rejection as a source of energy, is key. Fortunately, I had my mother’s support from the very beginning to help me stay strong and not give up. My dad was not supportive in the beginning, however; he had wanted me to complete college and become anything other than a musician or artist. Eventually, he came around once he realized how important music was to me and how determined I was to succeed.

Despite all the challenges associated with trying to make it in the music industry, I have managed to have an incredible career and have performed with famous artists from various genres, while touring around the world. Some of the places we performed were like experiencing a live version of National Geographic. The best part, of course, was meeting people from many different walks of life. The drum took me around the world.

In 1997, I was offered the position of Musical Director for a popular cooking show on the Food Network. This opportunity introduced me to another level of music…in television! Doing the show required a whole new approach to music to accommodate it to the requirements of television.

This was the first time the network had live music on any of its shows, and it was the first time an all-African American band was viewed on a regular basis on any network. We went through some changes. But, overall, it was a great experience performing with guest artists, eating incredible food, and being viewed around the world. It was bittersweet though; the executive producer and I never connected. We always knocked heads, which made going to work a real job. To make matters worse, on the set the chef gave the impression that we were best friends, like brothers, but offset, unfortunately, he went one way, and I went the other. This is exactly the opposite of how musicians interact and flow in a situation.

The show ended December 2007 after a ten-year run, and thus ended another chapter in my journey.

It was time to reinvent myself once again. Throughout my career I have always been involved in educating students in public and private schools, doing assembly programs, residencies, and workshops. I thought this would be the perfect transition after the show. Unfortunately, music and the arts had all but disappeared from public schools and there were very few schools that could afford any extra programs. A further disadvantage I faced was that because my instrument is no longer being used in today’s music and because the use of sampled electronic music predominates, there was very little work for me in my profession in Philadelphia.

Time for another reinvention. My new focus was on healing through music. It wasn’t a far stretch because I truly believed that whenever there is adversity, music can be a healing force. Philadelphia wasn’t the place to branch out in this direction, however, so in 2015, I relocated to Los Angeles. I wasn’t sure what turn my career would take but I let the drum lead me and take me on my next adventure.

A year after arriving in Los Angeles, I created, “Healing Sound Therapy” using my instruments for meditation, relieving stress, promoting inner harmony, and reconnecting the mind, body, and spirit. So far, I have presented my sound therapy to Alzheimer's patients, to senior citizens who were living in senior care facilities, and have used it in yoga studios and in private sessions. Those who have experienced it have said that they felt a connection to the energy created by the instruments and that it made them feel relaxed and at peace. We all need love, peace, and harmony in our lives and one input for achieving these positive states in through letting healing music into our hearts, minds, souls. Music is truly a healing force in the universe.

About “Baba Doc” (Leonard Gibbs)

?Following his highly successful musical career of national, international touring, and recording?as lead percussionist in the bands of high profile vocalists including Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Dianne Reeves, and Erykah Badu,??and being a key musician in the rhythm sections of bands including those of Grover Washington Jr. , Bob James, Ricki Lee Jones, Wyclef Jean and many others, master drummer and percussionist Baba Doc Gibbs heard a new rhythm. New directions called to Baba Doc, and he drew on his musical experiences to create a program of healing musical groups and individual musical sounds to promote healing.?This was an easy and natural transition for him.?

Looking back, it was Grover Washington Jr. whose understanding of the healing properties of music gave a young percussionist from Philadelphia,??Leonard Gibbs the honorific title “Doctor”. Grover’s vision saw that his percussionist was a “Doctor of Sounds”.?

?For more about Doc Gibbs and the other 32 Gems in our book, "33 Gems Wisdom for Living Pieces of Life's Puzzle" (www.gemsofwisdomconsulting.com/books)

Sharon T. Freeman, Ph.D.

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